Hope - Clouis Story
by GoofyGomez
Summary: Clementine has been feeling very under the weather lately. She decides to take a walk outside the school, her mind full of questions. One simple answer could change her life. Rated M for strong language, depictions of violence and sexual themes.
1. Chapter 1

"Calm down Clementine, you don't know shit yet."

That was what she kept telling herself, pacing her small room. Early morning sunlight seeped through the cracks in the window and cast odd shadows on her desk decorations. In her five years at Ericson's, she's amassed quite the collection of animal skulls, now displayed proudly all over her and Louis's room.

"You're just late, no biggie," she told herself firmly, shaking her head.

She looked over to the bucket on the floor beside her bed, fresh vomit sticking to its inner surface, and frowned. The bed covers were strewn around and five pillows covered the bed from head to toe. Clem had found out the hard way that Louis was indeed a pillow hog when he'd brought all his stuff to her room four years ago. Half of his 'stuff' was his pillows, which he guarded jealously.

Louis himself was not around. He'd woken up early for the morning shift and had let her sleep in. Clem had been rather sick the past few days and he didn't want to bother her. _How considerate,_ she thought, rolling her eyes. As she tried to move toward the bed, another cramp reached her abdomen and she bent over in pain, clutching her stomach.

"Thirteen years surviving the apocalypse, and I'll get killed by a fucking stomach bug," she mused, chuckling at the irony of her statement.

Standing up firmly, she pushed through the pain and walked out of her room. The hallway was empty except for Aasim, who was moving a stack of chairs somewhere. Over the last couple of months, he'd been trying unsuccessfully to grow a beard. It was not suiting him very well, Clementine thought. He looked over up and down and raised an eyebrow.

"Louis said you'd be in bed all day," he pointed out.

"Do I look like I'm in bed?" she asked irritably, rolling her eyes.

Backing off, Aasim nodded, "Alright, sorry. Good to see you on your feet."

He waddled as best he could down the hallway. "Wait Aasim, I'm sorry!" she called out to him as he disappeared into the courtyard. _Damn these hormones,_ she thought.

"No, that's not what's happening here!" she chastised herself, shaking her head and walking down the path Aasim took.

Outside, she saw Aasim setting the stack of chairs down next to a hunched Violet, who thanked him. AJ was sitting on the steps to the admin building, talking absently with Tenn. Her small boy had grown into a strong ten-year-old, every day taking more and more after his father. _He's Alvin's son alright,_ she thought with a smile.

When AJ spotted Clem exiting the dorms he sprinted in her direction, launching himself at her. Doubling over in pain, Clem groaned under his weight and almost collapsed. By now, he was almost the same height as her, and definitely more athletic. He backed away, a concerned expression on his face.

"Shit, sorry Clem," he blurted, helping her to her feet.

"It's okay kiddo," she assured him, ruffling his hair. "I'm just rather tired this morning."

"There's the most beautiful woman in the apocalypse." She heard the sing song voice coming from her left and turned to see a very giddy looking Louis walking in her direction. 'Chairles' was hoisted on his right shoulder, and he had rid himself of his usual trench coat for a much more comfortable leather jacket.

"And there's the funniest man in the apocalypse," she responded, on hand on her hip and a smile on her face.

"Wow, you get beautiful and I get funny?" he feigned offense, clutching his heart dramatically. "This relationship feels unbalanced, Your Majesty."

"Well, you are funny," AJ stated matter-of-factly. Louis looked at him for a moment and eventually nodded.

"That I am, little dude," he agreed, pulling Clem to him and planting a soft kiss on her forehead. He always joked that they were a perfect match purely because their heights allowed him to do that often, and she would always flip him off. In reality she enjoyed really enjoyed it, but she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction.

Before she had time to respond, another sharp pain caused her to groan in discomfort. Louis looked at her in concern, and eyed her up and down. "You sure you're okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm just having a stomach ache, that's all," she said, giving him the most reassuring smile she could muster.

Not altogether convinced, Louis pursed his lips but nodded at her. "Alright, if you say you're okay, I believe you."

"Thank you."

Gingerly, Louis led Clementine and AJ to the tables, which Aasim and Violet had already vacated. A few years back, through general consensus, both of them became the leaders of their community. They would usually come to Clem about smaller issues that they thought required her survivalist expertise. They had stopped, however, a couple months ago after Clem and Louis announced their impromptu wedding, earning cheers from the whole school, AJ the most vocal among them.

Right now, Clem was mostly thinking about what had come after the actual makeshift wedding, and its dire and worrying implications. She gently clutched her stomach, feeling a warmth she hadn't felt before. They _had_ been a little reckless, she thought ruefully. _And more than a little drunk._ She traced the small cracks in the table with her fingers, her eyes following the shapes absently.

Meanwhile, AJ and Louis indulged in light conversation. They were talking about the boy's eleventh birthday, which was fast approaching. Clementine hadn't known the exact date, so she and Louis looked at the calendar and decided on a rough estimate. In the end, they'd settled for January 18th. Her head was throbbing in pain, the sounds of their voices becoming blurs as she closed her eyes shut.

"Clem!" she heard at one point, her eyes fluttering open and searching for the source. She saw both Louis and AJ staring at her with raised eyebrows and blushed.

"Yeah, sorry," she blurted, nodding. "What is it?"

"I was just telling AJ that I have some time for another piano lesson with the little dude here." Louis ruffled the boy's hair and AJ laughed. "You okay being out here by yourself for a while?"

"You can come with us and watch me play, too," AJ suggested, his eyes lighting up at the thought.

Clem smiled at him but gently shook her head. "No, I think I'll wait out here. You guys go on ahead and practice."

Nodding, Louis turned to AJ, "Well, it's just you and me today, buddy," he said, a grin decorating his freckled features. The boy smiled and stood up, balancing his weight on the balls of his feet. They each gave Clementine a kiss on the cheek, Louis capturing her lips the second time and leaving a sloppy grin on her face.

When they entered the admin building, Clem was left alone in the courtyard. She tried to rub the sleep off her face, only getting a dizzy feeling from it. Instead, she looked around and examined the surroundings. In five years, the place had not really changed much.

The gate was now properly sealed with wood and metal sheets, bound together by the combined forces of duct tape and rope. The kids had not been able to contain themselves, and a couple of graffiti's were painted onto the boards. Most of them were vulgar words, a couple alluding to the victory over the Delta five years ago. The light from the rising sun shone on them, giving the impression that they glowed in the dim morning light.

The watchtower was essentially the same, save for a couple minor adjustments they'd deemed necessary over the years. Her eyes skimmed the walls and landed on the big archway that led to the graveyard. She was thankful that it had not gotten any new additions these past years, though they had added a small shrine in honor of each of the deceased. On it were whatever photos they had been able to find of them, and small notes from their loved ones.

Sophie's grave, although it had already been dug before the war on Delta, had been the hardest to fill. To this day, Minnie regretted not going back for Sophie's body, but there had been nothing they could do. The herd that consumed the compound had been enough incentive never to go back to that place. Instead, they'd filled the grave with the rest of her belongings, and Minnie had placed a lock of fiery red hair on her shrine.

As a gust of wind made her shiver, she buttoned up her jacket. Her mind was racing a thousand miles an hour, and the uncertainty was not helping. Shaking her head, she sat up and took a piece of paper from her breast pocket. She and Louis had decided that keeping a way of leaving notes for the other on them was important for these exact situations. She used a crayon to write him a small message.

' _Louis,_

 _Out for a walk, won't be long._

 _Love, Clem._ '

Leaving the note pinned to the table with a small rock, she made her way to the gate and opened it. Slowly, she slipped through the gap and closed it behind her. The woods beyond were filled with traps, ranging from boulders hanging from trees to bear traps hidden among the shrubbery. A few bird chirped happily as she passed through the trees, creating a soft melody that clashed with her jumbled thoughts.

As she walked, careful not to set off any traps, she saw the sun begin to rise along the tree line. She let the warmth embrace her, still shivering from every cold breeze that crept from the north. Hugging herself, Clem trudged through a small patch of tall grass and kept her pace. She didn't know how long she'd been walking, but before she realized, she arrived at a wooden fence.

It wasn't unlike the fence that had separated her childhood home from the forest in Georgia, though a couple of planks had rotten and been torn down. She squeezed through, dizziness settling in as she stumbled on the other side. Pressing her hand to the side of her face, she pinched the bridge of her nose and opened her eyes slowly. The urge to throw up had thankfully passed, and she was looking at a parking lot of a convenience store they had found last year while scavenging.

Cars that had been picked clean years ago littered the place, most of their tires stripped off or rotten. She looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was already at its highest point, meaning she'd taken almost twice as long getting here as last time. Cursing under her breath, she took out her knife and walked forward.

As she got to the door, a sharp clinging noise came from her right and she jumped, her knife trained in that direction and her left hand covering her stomach protectively. A squirrel jumped from behind a trash can, holding what appeared to be a potato chip bag in its hands. It eyed Clementine curiously, its tiny hands crumbling the top of the bag slowly.

She slashed at the air and scared it away, shaking her head and turning back to the store. Inside, the shelves were mostly ransacked, gathering dust since the apocalypse started. To her right there was a short line of shopping carts and to her left a rack filled with greeting cards. _'Happy Birthday', 'Merry Christmas', 'Happy New Year'_ she read absently, flipping through them. A sharp pain in her abdomen reminded her why she came in the first place, and she set out to find the pharmacy inside the store.

Empty boxes and crumpled bags littered the shelves and floor as she walked. The chirping of the birds seemed to have followed her, as more of them perched themselves on the windowsill of a shattered glass pane. The crunching of dirt and litter against her boots announced each step she took. Her eyes scanned the area every few seconds, alert in case anything happened. It would not do to get killed now, she thought ruefully.

She walked into the pharmacy office and searched the back shelves for whatever had been left. There wasn't much. The office was a smallish room with barely any room for light to pass through. Only a broken half window decorated one of the walls, leading to the back to the convenience store. She dug through the boxes, ridding them of pill bottles that had been emptied long ago.

"No, no, no," she kept muttering, discarding the items as she went through the office. After a few unsuccessful searches, her hand grazed a much heavier box on top of one of the highest shelves. "Damn, where's Louis when you need him?" she mused, her hands on her hips.

Standing on tiptoes, she managed to hook her finger around one of the cardboard flaps of the box, pulling it to her. It turned out that wasn't a great idea, as the contents of the box came pouring down. Now, strewn on the floor were small boxes with names such as 'Trojan' and 'Durex', which had no real meaning to her. She sorted through them until she found what she had been looking for all along: a pregnancy test.

She read the back of the box, familiarizing herself with the instructions and then taking the short stick out. Eyeing is with curiosity, she pursed her lips. _Good thing I didn't bring Louis then,_ she thought with a grin. She followed the instructions, however reluctantly, and then sat down on a box while she waited.

During the two minutes that the box advised, she busied herself by scanning the rest of the office. She could see posters for some health care business. They advised people to always have their shots up to date. _Didn't do much good now, did it?_ she thought. She wondered, after all these years, how many people were actually left.

"Not many, probably," she reasoned out loud. Before her morbid thoughts could take another turn, a faint beeping escaped the small stick in her hand. How it still had a working battery after over thirteen years, she didn't have a clue. She decided not to question it and, taking a deep breath, looked at the small screen. _It was…_

A loud bang from outside the office brought her eyes upwards. Stuffing the stick in her jacket pocket, she drew her knife and prepared for the worst. Soft growls and gurgles came from the front of the store, and she sighed in frustration. "Did you guys learn to sneak around or something?" she said to no one in particular, rolling her eyes.

At least it wasn't raiders, she thought. She walked outside and inspected the store. About fifteen walkers had wandered inside and were making their way toward her. She tried to keep them spaced out, taking them out swiftly. As she drove her knife in the skull of the tenth walker, a sharp pain in her stomach brought her down with it.

"God damn it," she swore, clutching her abdomen with one hand and the knife with the other. Before she could bring herself up to her feet again, a walker fell on top of her, its teeth dangerously close to her face. With all the force she could muster, she struck its skull from the side with the knife. The dead weight of the walker weighed her down, making her groan as she tried to escape its clutch.

With barely enough room to spare, she squeezed away from its grip and scrambled to her feet. She was surrounded by at least seven of them, slowly dragging their feet toward her. Broken glass crunched under their dead weight, creating a cacophony of sound combined with their loud growls and the chirping birds.

"Alright, come here!" she yelled, brandishing her knife again. "C'mere fuckers!"

"You're overreacting, Louis," AJ assured the man, watching him pace the courtyard. Violet and Aasim were seated on the table beside AJ, eyeing the gate nervously while Willy stood on the watchtower, scanning the tree line.

"What do you mean, little man?" Louis exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air. "My wife could be in trouble out there!" The sun was scraping the treetops by now, a crescent moon creeping its way into the sky on the east. Omar was already preparing the fire for dinner, and Ruby was collecting some vegetables from the greenhouse.

"She's been out longer," the boy reasoned, shrugging. "Clem can take care of herself out there, don't worry."

"He's right, Lou," Violet spoke up, her eyes glued to the dark exterior. "Clem will pro–."

"LOUIS! VIOLET!" came Willy's booming voice. "She's back!"

Louis's head perked up and he rushed to the gate, looking through the bars into the darkness. He spotted Clementine stumbling her way through the trees. She was clutching her stomach and her face was contorted in pain, but what caught his attention was the amount of blood on her jacket.

"Clem!" he exclaimed, opening the gate and running to her. He wrapped her arm over his shoulder and dragged her inside. As soon as they crossed the walls, her collapsed under her weight. "What happened?" he cried, his eyes scanning her face closely.

"I…" she trailed off, too out of breath to talk. It was only then that Louis saw her hand clutching the right side of her abdomen firmly.

"Clem…?" he whispered, his eyes eyeing her hand warily and then finding her own golden eyes. "What do you have there?"

"I'm sorry," she said simply, closing her eyes. It's wasn't her words that threw him off, but the small smile that crept up her face. Frowning, he looked down at her hand. She promptly released her grip on her jacket and revealed a small white and pink stick and a piece of folded paper in her pocket.

Louis took the stick warily in his hands and inspected it. It was thin on one side, and it got progressively thicker. It's tip was moist, and on the thick side was a small screen. On the screen, displayed in bright pink, was a small plus sign. Confused, Louis took the paper and unfolded it. Inside was a picture of a woman holding a baby and a small message below it.

'Congratulations, you're gonna be a daddy!' it read.

His eyes widening in shock, he looked back up at Clementine, whose eyes were open again. Her pain seemed to have diminished enough for her to smile at him. Taking a deep breath, she nodded and took his hand. "It's positive."


	2. Chapter 2

"Will you let me walk by myself, Louis?"

It was the third time Louis's hand had grazed hers in an attempt to help her up over a fallen trunk. She heard Aasim chuckle from behind them and she glared in his direction. The man made a motion of zipping his mouth and continued strolling, suddenly very interested in his shoelaces.

"I'm just worried, is all," Louis said, attempting to keep his distance as per her request. "Are you feeling okay?"

Clem chuckled despite herself, and smiled at her husband. "Like I told you a half hour ago, I'm fine," she reminded him, patting his shoulder. "I'm not letting anything happen to the little guy."

"Or girl," he added, smiling broadly.

"You're really hung up on that, huh?" Aasim said, finally having the courage to speak to them as he caught up.

"Dude, having a daughter would, like, make my world," Louis exclaimed, stumbling over his own words.

"Yeah, but a boy is so much easier to deal with," Aasim argued, "Look at AJ, for instance."

"I'll have to give the point to Aasim here," Clem put in, making Louis turn to her and frown. "A boy might be a little terror when he's younger, but once a girl gets to puberty, we'll be dealing with a whole other level."

"Okay, you guys are crazy," the freckled man said, shaking his head. "Plus, we weren't that great when _we_ hit puberty," he added, gesturing to Aasim and himself.

"Are you sure you really ever hit puberty?" teased Aasim. Both he and Clementine laughed, and Louis rolled his eyes, though he didn't really care. It had been exactly a week since he'd found out he was going to be a father, and his elation had not quite vanished yet.

The sun was already at its highest, and the warm feeling of the spring weather was washed over them like a cloth. After the grueling winter they'd endured, this was a welcome change of pace. As they finally found the wooden fence through which Clementine had crawled a week earlier, Aasim lifted a rather heave looking board out of the way and let Clementine and Louis through. After a quick scan of the perimeter, Louis held the board high for the other man to crawl through the gap.

"We really should scour the area a bit more," Aasim suggested, looking around. "If the convenience store still had stuff in it, who knows what other things we might find."

"I agree," said Clem nodding, "I'll go check the rest of the store. I didn't get a chance to sightsee last time," she chuckled.

"Alright, I'll go check the south part of the neighborhood," Louis suggested, running his hands through his hair. Clementine kissed him on the cheek before setting forth into the store ahead of her, rotting carcasses of dead animals lying around decaying corpses. She heard Louis mumble something to Aasim as she entered and started walking the aisles, examining the shelves.

Most of the stuff she saw were empty containers of various products, long expired or ransacked in the first lootings when the world first went to shit. Birds flew through the cracked windows, perching themselves on the high beams of the store. Twenty minutes of useless searching later, she had only found two cans of peaches and half a bag of baby formula. "Hope this doesn't go bad before she's born," she muttered to herself, startled when another voice followed hers.

"So you think it's gonna be a girl," Aasim said from behind her, deftly catching the bag that fell out of her hands in mid air.

"Damn it, Aasim," she swore, slapping him on the shoulder. "You scared the shit out of me!"

"Sorry, I was just checking in."

"Did Louis put you up to this?" she asked irritably.

"Nope, I'm just as worried as him," he promised, nodding. "Besides, we wouldn't want anything happening to Louis Junior here."

"Believe me, if it _is_ a boy, we're not calling him Louis Jr." she said. "One of him is enough."

"Amen to that."

Chuckling, they kept rummaging through empty boxes, coming up empty most of the time. Once they cleared the store, they left what little supplies they'd found in a box near the entrance so as not to forget them. As they walked out of the store and toward a broken down house, Aasim sighed.

"You know Louis is just looking out for you, right?" he said, casting a sideways glance at her.

"I know," she admitted. A squirrel perched itself on a dumpster, staring at them as they went by. "It just gets annoying at times. He knows I can take care of myself, right?"

"He does," Aasim assured her. "But I think he's scared."

"Scared? Why?"

"Well, he's always been pretty terrified of what could happen to you," he explained, frowning. "Don't tell him I said that."

"I won't, don't worry," she said, smiling at him. They entered the house through a huge gaping hole that led to the living room. Planks were scattered around the place, rotten splinters sticking out at odd angles. Clem spotted a teddy bear lying on a moldy mattress in the corner of the room, and half a children's book, most of its pages scattered on the floor.

"What I'm saying is, he's now doubly terrified of what would happen to you and the baby, so just cut him some slack."

"I guess I should," she admitted, kneeling beside the mattress and taking the teddy bear. Its left ear had been ripped off, and its synthetic fur was spotted with mud and grime. She turned it in her hands, imagining the small hands of a baby holding it, chuckling at nothing in particular. "Hey, Aasim?" she asked suddenly, standing up.

"Yeah?" he called out from the kitchen, where he'd been searching. He came out holding three cans of beans, and almost dropped them when she saw a tear falling from Clem's eyes. _Clementine never cried…_ "What is it?"

"What if I'm a terrible mother?"

Taken aback by the question, Aasim shook his head. He stepped forward, setting the cans on a splintered coffee table, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "How can you ask yourself that? Have you seen AJ?"

"That's different," she argued, looking down and fumbling with the teddy bear's ears. Aasim took note of it.

"How so?" he inquired, genuinely intrigued. He leaned against the wall and studied her expression.

"I didn't know what I was doing half the time," she began, "and in his first years I had a lot of help." Looking up for the first time and locking eyes with Aasim, she said "I don't know if this was the best idea."

Pursing his lips, Aasim sat beside her on the mattress. He looked at the teddy bear in her hands, and was reminded of one he had a child. His had been called Fuzzy, and he would have him in bed every night. His mother said it was his lucky bear…

"I don't think you had much choice in the matter," he said slowly, attempting the comedic route that Louis would have taken. "These things just happen."

"It doesn't make it any easier," she said bitterly, placing a hand on her stomach. "I've travelled with pregnant women before, and it always ends up badly."

"I don't think you've ever told me about that," Aasim said slowly.

"Rebecca, AJ mom," she began, closing her eyes. "She was in a lot of pain. She got too weak to walk, and ended up dying from blood loss shortly after having AJ."

"I'm – I'm really sorry, Clem… Look, I can't say I'm an expert on this stuff," he said, looking sideways at Clem. "But you both know you have our full support on anything you might need."

"Thank you, Aasim. That really means a lot to me."

"As for your fears as a mother," he added, nodding. "I think you should have that kind of conversation with your husband."

Clementine felt a chill rise through her spine at the mention of the word husband. She was still not accustomed to being married, though it was a pleasant sensation to say the least. She stood up, Aasim following her lead, and set the teddy on the coffee table. The sun was slowly making its way to the horizon, a sweet orange hue bathing the sky. The outline of the moon was visible already on the eastern side of the sky, awaiting the sun's departure.

As they walked into the store, they were greeted by a smiling Louis, who was holding a box full of cans in his arms. Gaping at him, Clementine said, "Where'd you get all those?"

"I found a hoarder's stash of food down the road," he informed them, gesturing to a rather run down house at the end of the street with his head. "Had to take care of the dude's corpse, but it was worth it."

"That's awesome, Lou," Aasim exclaimed, taking the box from him. "I'll take that; you can get those other supplies we gathered earlier."

"Wow, he's always such a gentleman," Louis muttered to Clem, who chuckled. They followed the man through the parking lot, Aasim a few paces ahead of them. Louis lifted the wooden board for Aasim, keeping it up for Clem. "After you, milady."

"Shut up," she said, rolling her eyes and trying to hide the smile that crept up her face as she crawled through the gap.

As they walked, Clem noticed Aasim getting father and father away from them, picking up his pace. The leaves rustled under his weight, and the crickets around them had begun their nightly song to accompany them. Sighing, she turned to her husband, "Hey Lou?"

"Yeah?" he said, offering her a half smile. She loved when he did that; almost as if he already knew what she was thinking and was bracing himself for she would say.

"How do you feel about all this?" she whispered, her hands instinctively going to her stomach. She thought by now she'd have a bump, but so far there wasn't much. After finding out about her pregnancy, she started reading every book available on the subject. As Aasim had put it, _they were not taking any chances._

Louis let out a tired breath, casting his eyes upwards into the black void of the sky. The shining stars were like diamonds in the sky, untroubled by the struggles of man. He searched that void, looking for answers that would not come. Looking down, he smiled. "I'm happy."

"I didn't think you would," Clem noted, actually glad that had been his reaction. "I thought you'd freak out and run away or something."

"Oh, I'm fully freaking out," he assured her, nodding vigorously. "I'm just a master of hiding my emotions."

"I see," she mused, chuckling. "So you're really not running out on us?"

"Clem, it pains me that you'd even consider me doing that," he said, shooting her a fleeting glance. "I'll be there for you every step of the way."

"I'm glad," she whispered, stepping over a tree and brushing away Louis's helping hand at the same time.

They fell silent for a while, enjoying the beautiful clear night. Crickets still surrounded them; the only sound other than that of their footsteps softly crunching the leaves that winter had so desolately blown away. They still had a ways to go until they reached the school, Clem realized ruefully. She heard a sigh from her left and turned to Louis.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, it's just," he trailed off, his eyes somewhere far away she couldn't quite place. When she stared at them, his dark chocolate brown eyes felt like a pool she was being sucked into, its depths completely unknown to her. Sometimes she wondered how his mind worked; all those fateful memories from his childhood safely stored away in fear that they would be unleashed.

"Just what?"

"Sometimes I wonder why you'd even be with me to begin with," he blurted, his walls crumbling and his face scrunching up in a frown. Before she could retort, he cut her off. "I know, I know. You love me, and I love you too. But this is a whole new different thing. How do we know I'm not gonna be a horrible dad?"

"How can you say that?" Clem exclaimed, Aasim's words coming back to her in that moment, the truth in them becoming clearer to her. She stopped and grabbed Louis by the shoulder, halting him before he stepped over one of the ropes they'd set up as traps near the school. Ahead of them, Aasim just kept walking.

"How do I know I won't become my dad?"

"Excuse me?"

"I've told you about my dad…" he trailed off, frowning. The faint moonlight shrouded half his face in darkness. "How can I be sure I won't turn into my dad? He was a shitty father, and I'll probably be an even shittier one."

Closing her eyes, Clem reached out for him, their fingers intertwining. She drew small circles on the palm of his hand, shaking her head. "Louis," she began. "You are the most kind-hearted person I have ever met. I said so a month ago, and I'm saying it again. You've been a huge influence on AJ and me, and I cannot think of anyone more different than your dad."

The freckled man looked up, a faint smile creeping up his face. His brown eyes met her amber ones, and in them he found sincerity; he found understanding. "You really think so?"

Chuckling, Clem stood on tiptoes and kissed the tip of his nose. "Absolutely, doofus," she assured him. "We'll work on this stuff together, like we always do."

"Together," he repeated, nodding and planting a kiss on the back of her hand. They heard Aasim calling for them from up ahead, and they quickly caught up with him, standing by the gates of the school. From outside, the walls now looked much sturdier than when Clem had arrived here. A couple of years ago while scavenging, they'd found a surprising amount of barbed wire in an abandoned warehouse, and it now decorated most of the perimeter of the school.

"Tenn, open the gate!" Aasim called. A loud thud was heard from the other side, and the barred gate slowly inched away from them. Once they were through, Louis and Aasim helped Tenn close it back up again, and Clementine set down the boxes they'd found on the table. She examined the food closely, making a mental inventory of their profit.

"I don't know about you, but I don't think peaches and beans are good for a baby," Louis said from behind her, a frown replacing his usual smile. "We really need to start stocking up on baby food, and fast."

"I know," she sighed, looking back at him and lowering her head. "This is already getting difficult, and we're not even close to the hardest part yet."

"We're not?" he asked, his voice raising and octave and causing Clementine to roll her eyes.

"You didn't read those books Aasim gave us the other night, right?"

"Uh," he stuttered, "They're in our night stand?" he guessed, grinning cheekily at her.

"They're not even in our room," she said, chuckling. "Don't worry; I'll catch you up tonight. Basically, we need a load of stuff. Not only food," she lamented. Sighing heavily, she leaned into him, wrapping her slender arms around his waist, Louis using her head as a headrest. She usually did this when she was tired, the soft thumping of Louis's heartbeat a soothing tune in her ears.

"How in the world are we gonna get that stuff?" he mused, sighing.

"I don't know," she whispered, closing her eyes. Suddenly, an idea lodged itself in her mind. It was so simple; she didn't know why she'd waited this long to figure it out. "Fuck, I'm so stupid."

"I think that's my title, thank you very much," he joked, startled by her sudden jump.

"Shut up," she said, quickly racing to the admin building without saying another word. He stood there for a moment, watching her disappear into the building, until he sprung to action. He followed her up the stairs, rushing into the principal's office.

"What is it?" he called out to her, watching her frantically search the desk in the corner of the room.

"Here it is!" she exclaimed, producing from one of the drawers a map of West Virginia. She set it on the desk and flattened it out, searching for something.

"What is _it,_ Clem?" Louis repeated with frustration, following her fingers as she browsed it.

"This!" she exclaimed, pointing at a small dot on the map and looking back up at Louis, a glint of hope lighting up her golden eyes. Louis stared into her eyes for a moment, lost in them. Blinking rapidly when he realized she was addressing him, he looked at the map. Beneath her finger, the dot had a single name written over it:

' _Richmond'_


	3. Chapter 3

"Do you really think they'll take us?"

AJ caught up to Clementine, his voice expectant as he took her hand and looked up at her. They'd been walking for nine hours, blisters forming on the soles of their feet. The sun in the warm spring morning was beginning to take its toll on them.

"I hope so, kiddo," she said, offering him a comforting smile. "Last time I saw him, Javi said I could go back to Richmond if I wanted. I just never had the chance," she mused.

"Relax, little dude," Louis said from his right, adjusting his grip on his chair leg. "They wouldn't turn down this pretty face."

"I would," commented Violet from behind them, passing them and giving AJ a small wink. The boy laughed, glancing back at Louis.

A soft welcoming breeze picked up from the north, the leaves rustling overhead. They kept walking forward, Louis whistling a tune to break the silence. The scenery of the forest didn't change much as they traipsed it, covering as much ground as they could before sundown. The trees winded in odd patterns, creating a path for them to follow.

Over the past two days, Clementine had studied the map and its dimensions, gathering the supplies necessary for their journey. She estimated that they could reach Richmond in two days on foot, and they'd already been at it for half of the first. They passed an old broken down car, crashed against an old oak. Its hood had compressed in on itself, the engine having crushed whoever had been driving.

Louis heard a low growl come from the front and noticed a walker trapped in the passenger seat by its safety belt. Its forehead was split open, dried blood covering most of its face. Clementine and AJ went around the car, inspecting the trunk and leaving Louis to deal with the walker and Violet to keep guard. He took out the knife and plunged it deep into its skull, a sickening crunch erupting from the bone.

"You never get used to it, huh?" Violet commented from behind him, noticing his expression.

Louis chuckled, cleaning the walker's blood off on his jeans, "Nope," he muttered, searching the body for anything useful. Unfortunately, there was nothing more than a single shotgun shell tucked in its breast pocket. "Any chance you guys found a shotgun back there?" he called to Clementine.

"I wish," Clementine called back, stepping over to him and handing him a crowbar. "We found this, though."

"Hmm, could spin a few walker heads with this," he mused, turning it in his hands. "How about you keep it? 'Chairles' keeps me safe enough."

"Nah, it would just slow me down," she said, setting the metal bar on the hood of the car. "Plus, I think a knife is more effective," she added, brandishing her own.

"Alright," Louis muttered hesitantly, eyeing the hunting knife in her hand.

Birds chirped overhead as they continued their journey. Clementine walked beside Violet, while Louis kept entertaining AJ with jokes. The blonde gave Clem a sideways glance, searching her features.

"How are you holding up, Clem?" she asked, fidgeting with her hatchet absently. Around them, flowers had already started blossoming in the wake of spring; red, yellow and blue petals filled the forest with vibrant colors.

"I'm fine," she muttered, her gaze somewhere far away. The sunlight hitting her eyes made them seem like they were made of molten gold, Violet noticed.

"Clem, you can't bullshit me," Violet told her, putting a hand on the other woman's shoulder. "I know when there's something on your mind."

Sighing, Clem looked at Vi and pursed her lips. "I'm just thinking about this whole… situation," she explained, her right hand protectively covering her stomach. "How could we have been so stupid?"

"I've asked myself that same thing since you guys started dating," Violet teased, making Clementine chuckle throatily. "You had a lot to drink, it was your wedding. Those things happen," she said, shrugging.

"I guess they do," she conceded. "We were a little crazy that night," Clem added cheekily.

"Atta girl!" Violet said, playfully slapping Clem's shoulder. "Who knew you had it in you?"

"Hey!" the woman exclaimed, chuckling. "I can be wild!"

"Sure you can," Violet said. They came across a narrow road, which Clem remembered had been depicted on the map. A sign on the side read 'Richmond – 40 miles'.

"I think we're close," Louis called back, his hands on his hips. He looked up at the sky, where the sun was already inching closer to the horizon. "You reckon we should bunk down?"

Clementine examined their surroundings. The road itself was far too open; too exposed for them to set up camp. The edge of the forest could be a viable choice, she thought, but they would need to have at least two people on guard at all times to keep an eye on the trees and the road. Plus, the gravel on the side of the asphalt was far too shallow to dig the nails for the tent.

"How about there?" AJ's voice broke through her thoughts. She followed his finger, and saw a gas station at least two miles down the road.

"Good job, little dude," Louis encouraged, offering AJ a high five. "I guess we have our five-star room waiting for us," he said to the group, beginning their walk toward the station.

The gas station itself was pretty small, consisting mainly of three pumps and a small convenience store. A rusted car lay upside down near one of the pumps, a decaying corpse sticking out of the windshield. While Violet and AJ stayed outside as lookouts, Clementine and Louis walked into the store, their weapons at the ready.

"Keep your eyes peeled," she told him, checking behind the counter and finding nothing of interest.

"Yes, ma'am," Louis replied. As he searched the aisles, Clementine noticed a grey door to the side of the counter. A sign over it read 'Only authorized personnel' in red, and the small window on the door was cracked. Of course, it was locked. Raising an eyebrow, Clementine looked back. Her husband was still intently looking into every nook and cranny, determined to find AJ some type of snack he'd promised earlier.

She turned back to the door, taking out her knife and sticking the tip in between the frame and the lock. With a grunt, Clementine pulled on it, hearing the distinctive click of a lock breaking. Silently, she pushed the door forward, peering in. The room beyond was pitch dark, the only source of light being the store from which she came. Squinting, she held the knife out in front of her, her left hand hovering close to her abdomen. She took two hesitant steps, her eyes darting from the tip of her knife to the room beyond. A dripping noise sounded from her right, eerily regular.

She took another tentative step, grimacing when a crunching sound erupted from beneath her boot. Cursing under her breath, she slowly kneeled down. Clementine strained her eyes, reaching out with her hand. Her fingers grazed a plastic bag on the floor, and they wrapped around it. As she stood back up, she heard a soft growl come from the darkness. But not fast enough.

Before she could even react, her back had hit the floor with a thud, knocking the air out of her lungs. She raised her right arm, the hunting knife held in her hand. Clementine attempted to plunge it into the walker's skull, but its icy cold hand managed to slap it out of her grasp. The knife fell onto the ground with a thud. The full weight of the corpse fell on her, pinning her on the spot.

What little light seeped through the open door now shone over the decaying walker, its enormous mass preventing Clementine from escaping its grasp. Its clattering teeth neared her face, a foul stench emanating from its mouth. With a yelp, Clementine raised her left arm protectively in front of her face. A loud ripping noise erupted from her torn sleeve, followed by Louis's yell.

"Clementine!"

A sickening crunch was heard as 'Chairles' struck the walker's head on its side, and the corpse went limp on top of her. Grunting and with the help of her husband, Clementine pushed the walker off her. She sat up on the floor and took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

"What the fuck happened?" Louis exclaimed, his eyes darting from the dead walker to his wife.

"I slipped, and the fucker got the jump on me," she replied, using one of the shelves to prop herself up.

Louis blinked rapidly, setting his chair leg against the door and helping her up. "You could have died, Clementine!" he practically yelled, throwing his arms in the air.

"But I didn't, okay?" she defended herself. As she passed him, Louis took her left arm and lifted it, showing her the torn sleeve.

"Then what's this?" he whispered. "He almost took a chunk out of you, Clem."

"I just lost my footing, Lou," she said, looking down dejectedly. She rubbed her arm, brushing past Louis and walking into the convenience store. AJ and Violet were at the door, their weapons at the ready.

Violet spotted Louis's concerned look and raised an eyebrow. "What the hell happened?"

Before Clem could reply, Louis's voice rose above hers. "I'll tell you what happened," he fumed, stepping forward. "Clem here almost got fucking bitten for no reason."

"What?" AJ inquired, his eyes finding Clem. "What do you mean?"

"I thought the office was empty and lost my footing when a walker jumped me," she explained. "You were busy back there, and I didn't think I'd need any help."

"We've talked about this, Clem," Vi observed, her brow furrowed. "We always go in pairs."

Huffing, Clementine stormed out of the store into the parking lot, the sound of the others' voices muffled as she rushed past them. Night was already upon them, a slight breeze causing chills to travel up her spine. She stared into the forest on the other side of the road, examining the shadows that slithered in its depths. She spotted an owl perched atop a high branch. Its big round eyes looked her up and down and owl took flight, disappearing into the dark night.

Sometimes Clem dreamed she was a bird; flying high above the treetops, free to explore the world. It was a stupid dream, she knew, but at that moment it resurfaced in her mind's eye. She reveled in the feeling of the wind hitting her face, though it was barely an illusion created by her brain. _I can't fly,_ she told herself.

"Clem?"

Louis's gentle voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She turned and faced him, unbidden tears threatening to fill her eyes. They stared at each other silently, amber eyes boring into brown ones. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. It had been a long while since her last close encounter with death, and she hated the metallic taste that filled her mouth then.

"I'm sorry," he said suddenly, making her raise an eyebrow.

"What?" she breathed, confused. As far as she knew, she was the one who should be apologizing. Instead, Louis smiled and stepped forward, shortening the distance between them.

"I sort of overreacted back there," he began, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards. "I just got scared. Ever since you've told me about the baby, I've been very paranoid."

Clem chuckled and walked up to him, cupping his face. "It's okay, Lou," she assured him, standing on her tiptoes and planting a kiss on his lips. "I was an idiot, I'll admit it."

"Ha, you can't take it back now," he exclaimed, "We're idiots together!"

Snorting, Clementine rolled her eyes and pressed her forehead to his. "You're such a dork."

"Glad to see you've made up," Violet's voice cut them off. They looked back to the door, where the blonde was leaning against the frame with a cheeky smile on her face. "Wanna help AJ and I make the beds or do you wanna sleep outside with the walkers?"

Two hours later, the couple lied on the floor of the back aisle, a thin blanket covering them. Clementine was fast asleep, her eyes moving beneath her eyelids as she dreamt. Louis looked at her from his side of the makeshift bed, a sloppy grin on his face. He wondered what his wife was dreaming now that her nightmares had subsided.

Slowly, he reached up with his hand and placed it on her stomach. Even though she was only a month pregnant, Louis could already feel the presence of their child inside her. _Was it a fatherly instinct?_ he thought. Whatever it was, he was glad it was there. Making sure she was asleep, Louis cleared his throat and leaned forward.

"Hey little one, I'm your dad," he began in a low voice, already feeling silly for doing such a thing. "I can't believe you're growing inside Clem, but I'm super glad you are. I want you to know that, no matter what happens, I will always protect you. You don't need to worry, okay?" he whispered, drawing small circles with his palm on Clem's stomach. Slowly, he leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her belly, smiling when he noticed the goosebumps forming on the skin his lips had touched.

Lying back down, Louis closed his eyes and sighed. He'd meant what he said; he would protect this baby with everything he had. With a grin on his face, he finally drifted off to sleep, thoughts of Clementine holding their baby filling his mind. He didn't even realize that Clem's eyes were wide open, staring lovingly at her husband and thinking about his little speech.

At the break of dawn, the foursome had already packed up and began the rest of their journey, rubbing sleep off their tired eyes. Their walk was mostly silent, punctuated only by Louis's comments to AJ about wildlife in West Virginia. Most of it was useless trivia he'd read on the school library, though it didn't seem to matter to AJ, who was fascinated with the new information.

By midday, the group reached the edge of the city, its high buildings looming over them. They walked the streets slowly, taking in their surroundings. Broken down cars littered the sidewalks, most of their tires stripped away long ago. Along what looked to be the main avenue, they came across a massive wall, spanning the distance of the entire street.

"This is it," Clementine told them, recognizing Richmond's handiwork. She walked forward, scanning the perimeter for threats. Before she could get within twenty feet of the wall, she heard the distinctive sound of rifles cocking.

"Who goes there?" a gruff voice asked from above. Clementine instructed the others to lower their weapons and raised her arms.

"My name is Clementine!" she called back, taking a step forward. "I'm a friend of Javier Garcia!"

"Bullshit!" the man replied. A few of his friends chuckled.

Clem rolled her eyes and raised her voice. "Just call him and tell him Clementine is looking for him! He'll know who I am."

Shrugging, a bald man with an eye-patch stepped back and walked down a rickety staircase while the rest of the guards trained their weapons on them. The foursome stood idly at the gate, looking at each other nervously. Clem offered Louis a reassuring smile, which he gladly returned. She watched AJ fiddle with the hem of his shirt, which was already a size too short for him. He was starting to take after his father…

Barely five minutes later, they heard a booming sound and saw the metal gate slowly inching upwards. Clem nodded at the rest and then turned to the gate. When it opened completely, Clementine smiled. Javier Garcia was walking towards them, stopping a few feet in front of her. His beard had been trimmed, and he now wore a leather jacket over a red plaid shirt.

He blinked twice, as though wondering if this was just a dream, and his mouth fell open. "Clementine?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Clementine?"

Javi's voice was a mixture of awe and disbelief. With a brief smile, Clem nodded. The man promptly stepped forward and embraced her. She closed her eyes and returned the gesture. They hadn't seen each other in eight years, yet Javi had changed very little. He had apparently trimmed his beard, accenting his sharp jawline.

"Javi," she whispered, breaking away from him and smiled up at the man. "It's been a while."

"Boy, I'll say," he said, chuckling. It was then that he noticed the three standing behind her. "Wanna introduce us?"

Clementine looked back and nodded, locking eyes with Louis. "Of course," she said, stepping back. "This is my best friend Violet."

"Hey," the blonde said, nodding slightly.

Javi smiled and nodded back, turning to look at the ten-year-old boy standing beside her.

"That's AJ," she told him. "Remember him?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," he said, kneeling in front of AJ. "Hey, little man. Name's Javi. I was the one who helped Clem find you all those years ago."

AJ smiled and nodded. "Yeah, she told me about you," he said, fidgeting with his shirt. "Thanks for helping her, by the way."

"It was my pleasure," the man replied, standing up and facing the dreaded man. They stood at the same height, both towering over Clementine, who stood beside Javi. "And who might this be?" Javi asked.

"This is Louis," she informed him. "My husband."

Raising an eyebrow, Javi looked down at Clem and nodded slowly. He turned back to Louis, who smiled. "Nice to meet you," the dreaded man said, extending his hand to Javi.

"Right back at you," he replied, firmly shaking his hand. "You guys want to come in? We got some food left over for you if you're hungry."

AJ's stomach grumbled by way of reply, and Javi chuckled. He led them inside, signaling for the guards at the door to lower their weapons. Without a second thought, they followed his instruction and proceeded to lower the gate once more. Clementine took note of that as he walked them through the main street.

The houses to either side were simple, with vibrant colors that contrasted with the dead atmosphere on the outside of the wall. Some of the front lawns were decorated with small stands, little signs announcing a trade the owner was willing to make. Clementine and Louis marveled at the street lights, most of them connected by cables that ran along the walls of the buildings.

"You know, I was shocked when Randall came in and said you were at the door," Javi commented as they walked past a rundown barber shop. "Thought he was pulling my hair again."

"Thanks again for letting us in," Louis put in, walking beside his wife. "This seems like a great place to live in."

"My pleasure," Javi said as they got to a building with a banner over the door. On it was the name 'Richmond' in big red letters. "Clementine here was a big help in starting all of this."

"She was?" Violet asked, casting a sideways glance at the other woman.

"Yeah, she helped me and Gabe clear out the place of walkers when it was overrun. It's because of her that this place is what it is now, actually."

"I helped a little bit," Clem muttered dismissively, looking away.

"Alright, I'll give you guys a little tour, and then you can eat," Javi promised.

As they walked, a soccer ball rolled its way toward Louis. The man caught it and looked up, seeing two small children run toward him. Smiling, Louis picked it up and handed it to one of the girls. She thanked him and ran off toward a small courtyard, her friend catching up to her. Clem watched the girls bound off, smiling as she thought of their child one day playing among these kids.

A radio static was heard and Javi groaned, grabbing it from his belt. "Yeah?"

"Javi, you still need that food delivered to the hall?" a woman's voice said.

"Yep, send them over in about thirty minutes," he replied, his tone passive and kind.

They heard an affirmative grunt from the other side and then radio silence. Violet walked forward, raising an eyebrow at Javi. "So who's in charge here?" she asked.

"Well, technically I am," Javi informed them. "But it's a democracy. Everyone has a vote in the coming and goings of the community."

"That's good," Clementine complimented.

Javi led them toward an ornate looking door, the wood around the frame growing spots of mold. Clem took note of that as the older man opened it and walked inside. When they entered, Clem heard Louis whistle. They were in an enclosed space, similar in size to the music room back at the school. Around them, blossoming boldly, were dozens of plants and vegetables. A man and a woman stood by a carrot patch, taking notes on the height of their produce.

"Mind if I show my friends around?" Javi asked them, drawing their attention. They smiled at the man and nodded, returning to their task. "This is the greenhouse," he told the group, who were now looking around the place in awe.

The room was covered from floor to ceiling in bright colors, accenting their drab clothing. Clementine noticed patches of potatoes on either side. In the middle of the room were mostly flowers and plants, their names and uses listed on small signs beside each of them. Two small cupboards stood to the side, their insides filled to the brim with gardening supplies.

"This is incredible," breathed Violet, caressing a beautiful daffodil growing on one of the flower beds. Javi nodded, looking around.

"It took some time, but we got it working eventually," he informed them, walking toward a back door. "I didn't want to have to go back to Joan's ways."

"That's understandable," Clementine commented, following Javi out into the alley beyond the door.

They walked through a busy street, people's heads turning in the direction of the new group. Most barely spared a glance for them, choosing instead to go back to their activities. As they passed an open space where a number of horses were being kept, a man approached Javi with a smile.

His blond beard was gruff, reaching his chest. He wore a pair of burgundy glasses behind kind eyes, and had a few balding spots on his head. His clothes consisted of a white sleeveless shirt and a pair of blue torn jeans; much like those Louis wore every now and then.

"Ah, Javi," the man said, his voice mellow. "I was hoping you'd come by."

"John," Javi greeted, clapping the man on the shoulder. "What can I do for you?"

"I've been working on those mods for the saddle you asked for, you know?" he began, showcasing for them a leather holster with a larger strap attached to it. "You have a moment to help me with it?"

"Sure thing."

"Not as deft nowadays," John joked, showing them the stump that replaced his left hand, making Clem frown.

"Walker bite?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Sure was," John replied with a grin, "Don't worry, I'm lucky to be alive. Good thing Javi here was there when he was. Owe my life to this man," he added, patting Javi on the back. They both went into the makeshift stable, leaving the group standing just outside.

Clementine inspected the street ahead. People milled about pleasantly, exchanging words with their neighbors. Scaffolding had been placed by an apartment compound right next to the stables and two men were busy heaving a bunch of metal pipes up to the second storey.

Barely two minutes later, Javi returned and they continued their journey. The group passed a big gathering to their left, making Javi chuckle. He stopped, extending his arms to show them their next stop.

"This is our recreation center," he informed them. "We've got a basketball court, a space reserved for soccer," he numbered, showing them each place as he did.

"And my personal favorite," he added, stepping back. "The batting cage."

In front of them, several plates were placed over rough dirt, people standing on most of them. Clem looked further and spotted a number of pitchers, small baskets filled with baseballs at their sides. The crowd cheered as each pitcher launched the ball to the batters, the former giving their best shot. At the back of the makeshift field was a big net to catch stray balls from wandering into the rest of the settlement.

"Sometimes I come here to blow off steam," Javi said wistfully, eyeing the bat rack to the side.

"Reliving the olden days?" Clem teased, crossing her arms.

"Something like that."

"What do you mean?" AJ asked curiously, looking up at Javi.

"Well, Javi here used to be a professional baseball player," she told the boy, nodding.

"Yeah, until I got kicked out of the league," Javi huffed, crossing his arms.

"Hold on a minute," Louis cut them off, raising his arms. "You're telling me you're the _Javier Garcia_?"

"The one and only."

"Oh my god, I can't believe this!" the freckled man exclaimed.

Clementine and Violet shared a similar look as Louis started bombarding Javi with questions about his time playing, shaking their heads. They moved on, Clem's husband still enthralled with his conversation with Javi. By the time they got to their next stop, he had thankfully calmed down. They were right outside an enormous tent, a big red cross painted on the side.

"Let me guess, this is the hospital?" Violet said, looking sideways at the older man.

Javi opened the flap that acted as a door by way of explanation. Inside, a number of beds lined the sides of the tent, some of which had people lying on them. Five men and women in lab coats and scrubs kept walking around, checking on their patients. Javi led them through the middle aisle, nodding to the doctors as he passed.

A pregnant woman rushed past Clementine, excusing herself as she made her way to a side door that could only be a bathroom. The young woman frowned, turning only when she heard a voice she recognized.

"Clementine?" a female voice said, startling her. In front of her stood Eleanor, her brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, a few stray grey hairs lining it. She held a clipboard in her hand, and she almost dropped it when she saw the younger woman.

"Eleanor?" she replied, her eyes widening. The older woman stepped forward, embracing Clem in a hug, which the latter returned.

"What are you doing here?"

"Um," Clem stuttered, looking back at Louis for aid. Stepping forward, the man introduced himself to Eleanor.

"Hi, I'm Louis," he began, shaking her hand. "I'm Clem's husband."

"Husband, huh?"

"Yeah, it's been a long time," Clementine said, smiling up at Louis. After some catching up, they said their goodbyes to the woman and followed Javi outside, leaving Eleanor to work on a patient. They walked a less crowded street toward what looked to be an old abandoned hotel. Over the main door was a rather large sign that read 'Admin' in red letters.

They walked in, greeting the guards at the door. The hallway inside was dimly lit, its walls a drab maroon color. He led them to the end of the corridor, where a set of white double doors opened into a large dining room. On the table, four bowls of hot vegetable soup waited for them.

"Eat up," Javi told them, sitting on one of the spare chairs. The foursome hungrily downed the contents of their meal, Louis and AJ finishing first. They all made small talk, mostly focusing on Javi and what he'd been doing all these years.

After they had thanked the cook for the meal, Clementine leaned in and looked at Javi. "Hey, would you mind talking in private?"

"Sure thing, Clem," he replied, leading her out of the dining room and through a side door. Inside, a bed lay to the side, heaps of clothes littering the floor beside it. The woman looked back at him, and he shrugged. "One of the perks of being the leader, no one judges you."

"I'm not sure that's how it goes," she teased, finding a chair and leaning on it.

"Perhaps," he said, chuckling and sitting back on his bed. "What's up, Clem?"

"I – There's a reason we came to Richmond," she began, fidgeting with her hands.

"I'm guessing it wasn't to get a hot meal."

"No, it wasn't. But that helped too," she assured him.

"Then what is it?"

Clementine took a deep breath, eyeing the door through which her husband was waiting. She closed her eyes for a moment before looking up at the man sitting across from her.

"I'm pregnant."


	5. Chapter 5

Morning sickness wasn't something Clementine had imagined when they'd found out they were having a child. It certainly wasn't pleasant. She was kneeling beside the toilet of the room Javi had assigned them, her small hands clutching its sides. According to the watch by her bed, it was barely 6:30 in the morning, so Louis was still sound asleep. A sickening feeling overpowered her stomach and she leaned forward, vomiting the previous night's dinner. Her head spun and she had to close her eyes for a moment.

The room they'd been given was spacious enough, as it had once been a master suite in the rundown hotel. The king-sized bed stood in the middle, two nightstands flanking it on either side. There was a wardrobe to the right that contained stacks of old clothes. Most of them were moth-eaten, but Clementine had managed to find a plain black shirt to replace her old stained white tank top.

She heard a soft knock on the bathroom door and turned to see her husband at the threshold. He had a kind smile, and his eyes were groggy from sleep.

"Are you okay baby?" he whispered, kneeling beside her.

"Yeah, just some morning sickness is all," she assured him, offering him the best grin she could muster.

The man placed a comforting hand on her cheek, caressing it with his thumb softly. "You need me to get you anything?"

"I'm good," she said, nodding. "You should go wake AJ up."

Standing on, Louis said, "On it," and planted a kiss on Clem's forehead, exiting the room. she watched him leave, the smile never leaving her face. She thought about the impact Louis had had on AJ's life, and still marveled at the affection those two shared. He really had become a great father figure for the boy, and she was sure he would be an even better one for their child.

Closing her eyes, Clem pushed herself off the toilet and stood up. She wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her jacket and turned to their bedroom, preparing for the day ahead. Javi had asked her to meet him at his office early in the morning to further discuss their unique situation.

Clementine met Louis and AJ at the bottom of the stairs, abandoning her denim jacket for the day and instead choosing the black shirt alone. The trio walked down the hallway toward the main office. After she had told Javi about the reasons behind their coming to Richmond, he'd escorted her and the others to their rooms and bid them goodnight. According to him, he needed time to think.

They arrived at a set of oak double doors with ornate door handles. Louis knocked softly and stepped back, offering Clementine a wink as the door opened. Javi let them in, still rubbing sleep off of his eyes. Unlike his room, Javi's office was much more organized.

On the right wall, a number of framed pictures of the previous owner hung loosely. She noticed some pictures were of Javi and Gabe, though those were pinned to the wall by tacks. A big desk stood close to the back wall, a couple of chairs stood in front of it. They each took a seat. Javi sat behind a desk and crossed his arms. "So you're pregnant," he said by way of introduction.

"Yeah."

"Well, you're in luck," Javi announced, clapping his hands. "We currently have nine pregnant women in the community, all of which are more than cared for with the equipment we have."

"That's great," Louis said, nodding at the man. "But what's the catch?"

Javier chuckled, making the wrinkles that had formed around his eyes more noticeable. "No catch, I assure you," he said, shaking his head. "We will have to talk about your accommodations here. Plus, we need to go over the rules of the place."

"I understand," Clem said, smiling at the man. "You've become a great leader, Javi," she complimented.

"Thank you, Clem." Javi shifted in his seat, leaning his elbows on the desk. "So let's talk business. Are all of you staying here?"

"No," Louis answered. "Just the three of us. Violet wants to be back with Minnie and the rest, so she'll come around every now and then to check on us. She's leaving in a few hours, so we let her sleep in."

"Smart idea," said Javi. "I don't think you'll be staying longer than you have to, right?"

"I think we'll stay until the baby's born, and then see what we do from there," Clem said, frowning. "This is all new to us," she added, putting her hand on her stomach.

They spoke of accommodations after that. Louis and Clementine would get to keep their suite. AJ would be moved to the adjoining room to that one at Clem's request. Javier promised Violet would be able to crash at a guest room near his own room whenever she wanted to drop by for more than a day. After that was out of the way, Javi sat up straight.

"Now, rules," he said. "I trust you'll be respectful to all citizens of Richmond." They nodded. "Everyone must pull their weight, one way or another."

"We can hunt," Clem suggested, glancing at Louis. "We've been doing it for years."

"I don't know how I feel about you going out in your condition, Clem," Louis said slowly, fidgeting with his hands.

"What, you think I'll get killed just because I'm pregnant?" she inquired with a raised eyebrow, her tone mocking.

"No, I mean–," Louis began before he was cut off by Javi.

"No one goes out there by themselves," he assured the freckled man. "Everyone goes out with a partner, and we all have walkie-talkies just in case. You two know how to shoot?" he asked AJ and Louis.

"Yeah," replied the boy, nodding at Clem.

"I don't," said Louis, knitting his brows. "Never had to learn, since we didn't have many guns in the first place."

"That's not gonna cut it," Javi said. "This afternoon, you'll be beginning practice in the shooting range down the block. Clementine can join you if you'd like. She's a great shot."

"Thank you," Clem said, blushing. She turned to her husband, "Don't worry, we'll make a marksman out of you."

"I guess," Louis muttered. Suddenly, they heard a hard knock coming from the door.

"Come in," Javi said. The door creaked open, heavy footsteps coming from behind Clementine. She saw Javi rise from his seat, a smile on his face. Turning to her left, she spotted a man she hadn't seen in eight years. His beard, much like Javi's, was shaved close. He wore a blue denim jacket over a red shirt.

The man approached Javi and embraced him, oblivious to the threesome sitting by him. "Got back in one piece," Gabe said as they broke apart, "Just like you asked."

Chuckling, Javi clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm glad, Gabriel," he said. "We have some guests, actually," he added, glancing to his right.

"Who is it–," Gabe began before being cut off by Clementine hugging him. He eyed the freckled man and the boy sitting at the desk and then looked down at the woman.

"Gabe," she exclaimed, looking up at him. "It's been so long."

"Clementine?" he stuttered, looking at Javi and then back at Clem. "When did you get here?"

"Yesterday," she informed him, leaning against the desk behind her. "Javi gave us a room to stay in."

"That's – That's great," he said, his eyes lighting up. "And who might these be?" he added, raising his eyebrow at Louis and AJ.

"Oh, sorry. This is AJ," she gestured to the boy. "He's sort of a son to me," she explained, a warm smile on her face as AJ nodded at the man.

"And I'm Louis," the freckled man said, rising and shaking Gabe's hand. "Clem's husband," he added cheekily.

Gabe did a double take, blinking at Louis. "Oh, that's… great," he managed to say, pursing his lips. "So what are you guys doing here?" he asked finally, leaning on the desk. Javi sat down on his seat and crossed his arms.

"They came here looking for shelter," he lied, eyeing Clementine. "They will be staying with us for some time."

"Alright," Gabe said, nodding. "You gave them the briefing?" he directed his question at Javi.

"I did, and they're more than happy to pull their own weight."

"That's good."

"I was actually about to suggest they head to the shooting range. Wanna show them the way?" Javi suggested.

"Sure thing, Javi."

The young man nodded at Javi and stood up, beckoning the threesome to follow him. They said their goodbyes to the leader and silently walked out of the office. The hallway beyond was bustling with people by now, most of them not sparing a second glance for Clem and the rest. As they exited the building, Clementine walked beside Gabe at the front and they began catching up.

Louis walked next to AJ a few paces behind, his eyes darting from Clementine to the people around them. Most of the buildings on this part of town had been restored to an extent. Kids played in the street. It was as though the apocalypse had completely skipped this part of the world, Louis thought. _Could this be a better alternative to the boarding school?_

His line of thought was cut short when Clementine laughed from ahead of him. Louis looked forward, catching Gabe's grin as the woman looked at him. Raising an eyebrow, he quickened his pace to be on par with them, AJ close behind him.

He listened into their conversation, his eyes still on Gabriel on Clementine's right. They were reminiscing about the time they'd met, too engrossed to notice Louis's presence beside them. As he walked, he accidentally bumped into a woman who was walking in the opposite direction. He turned and apologized to her, helping her with a bushel of apples she'd dropped.

When he grabbed the final one off the ground and lifted his head, he was greeted with a smile from the woman in question. She wore a beige tank top with denim shorts to complement the coming weather. Her wavy black hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she had dark grey eyes. He nodded and said, "I'm so sorry, I didn't see where I was going."

"It's no problem," she assured him, taking the apples from his hand and placing them in a basket.

Louis turned around and noticed the others had kept going without him. He cursed under his breath. "Sorry, gotta run," he announced, leaving the woman standing in the middle of the street and catching up to his group.

Minutes later, Gabe walked into a door with the legend 'Range' on it. Inside, rifles and handguns lined the walls. Ahead of them, several small booths covered the width of the room. Gabe approached one of the handguns and Louis heard a clicking noise. He handed the freckled man the weapon, its barrel pointed at himself, and Louis took it.

Sensing the tension between them, Clementine stepped up and took Louis's hand, leading him toward one of the booths. On the actual range, Louis could see a number of targets at several heights. Clem nodded at him and took out her own gun.

"Alright, hold it like I taught you," she began, smiling when he followed her instructions. "That's it. Now, the safety is right here," she pointed at a small button on the side of the firearm, and Louis hesitantly pressed it.

"Okay, what do I do now?" he asked, glancing to his right at Clementine.

"First of all, remember it's just a thing," she explained. Louis frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know," she admitted, shrugging. "Now, take a deep breath and aim your crosshair at the target you want to hit. I'd say start with the lower ones first."

"Sure thing…" he trailed off, holding the gun in both hands. He lifted it up to eye level; all too aware that AJ and Gabe were staring at him from behind. His hands shaking, he locked onto a cardboard silhouette that stood twenty feet from them. Taking a deep breath, he gently squeezed the trigger. He heard the distinctive bang and frowned when he saw a bullet hole about two feet above the target's head.

"Well, it's a good start," Clem complimented, patting him on the shoulder. "Let's go again."

He practiced for half an hour, Clementine's advice cluttering his mind as he attempted to hit the targets. So far, he'd barely managed to hit two of them in the chest area. _Not good enough,_ he told himself, preparing for the next shot. He fired the final round of the clip and growled in frustration when yet another bullet hole adorned the wall behind the target. He was thankful that there was no one in the shooting range aside from the four of them, but he was getting tired of missing every shot.

"Okay, move aside," he heard Gabe's voice coming from behind him. The bearded man stepped up to his right, brandishing his own handgun. "This is how you do it."

Taking off the safety and cocking the gun in one swift motion, Gabe fired five consecutive shots. All five found their targets' heads.

"Showoff," muttered Louis, crossing his arms.

"That was some nice shooting, Gabe," complimented Clementine, making him blush.

"Oh, thanks," he mumbled, scratching the back of his head. Blinking a few times, he turned to Louis. "Look, I can teach you properly if you're up for it."

Before Louis could decline, Clem stepped up and smiled. "That would be great, Gabe," she said. Turning to Louis, she told him, "Honey, you should listen to him. He probably knows a lot more about the technique than I do, and I'm very much out of practice."

"Plus, no offense, but you suck at this," Gabe added, earning a glare from both Louis and AJ. "Sorry, but it's the truth. You can get better, of course. I know you can."

"Alright, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try," admitted Louis, nodding. "Let's begin."

Over the next three weeks, Gabe and Louis met at the shooting range every morning. The former led the latter through different exercises to test his skills. Clementine tried to attend a couple of their sessions, but morning sickness would sometimes get too unbearable for her. She had convinced Javi during their first meeting to keep her condition a secret for the time being, so she would usually excuse herself by claiming she wanted to give AJ morning school lessons.

She managed to drop by one of Gabe and Louis's training sessions one day, as AJ had been feeling under the weather and had asked to sleep in. She entered the range and was greeted by the sound of gunfire. At the booths, Louis held a handgun in both hands, his eyes set on a moving target about thirty feet from him. Gabe stood to the side, his hands behind his back.

Deciding not to interrupt, Clem leaned against the wall and watched as Louis fired two shots at the silhouette. They each found the head and torso of the target. She smiled at her husband's progress and started clapping, startling the two men. Louis recovered quickly and bowed dramatically in her direction.

"Thank you, thank you," he exclaimed, flashing a toothy grin at her.

"When did you get so good?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"He's a natural," Gabe complimented, "he just needed some confidence."

Louis nodded and walked up to Clementine. Gently, he pressed a kiss on her forehead and turned to his teacher. "What now, Gabe?" he asked.

"Well, you're pretty set with a pistol," he reasoned, crossing his arms. "You'll need to keep that up, but I think we could graduate you to rifles soon enough."

Louis gulped and glanced down at Clementine, who smiled cheekily. _Yeah,_ he thought, _this might be a good place after all._ He had to make it work for Clementine and their baby. If that meant facing his fears head on, he would deal with it. _For Clementine_.


	6. Chapter 6

"Come on, you can do better than that."

Javier's taunts kept coming from the pitcher's mound, a smug grin on the old baseball player's face. Louis was at the home plate on the makeshift baseball pitch. He had Javi's metal bat in his hands. After the grueling three weeks of training, Javi suggested a little rest would do him good. Clem and Gabe sat at the stands watching the men practice.

Having just missed three swings in a row, Louis rolled his eyes. He gripped the handle of the bat firmly, his knuckles white from the pressure. Raising it over his head, he nodded at Javier.

"I'll get it this time," he assured the man. Javi nodded and threw back his arm, ready to pitch.

Before the ball flew through the air, a blinding pain shot up Clem's abdomen, lodging itself by her pelvis. She doubled over in pain, clutching her stomach. She barely heard the distinctive metallic sound when Louis finally hit the ball and it flew over Javier's head. A hand gripped her shoulder.

"Hey, you okay Clem?" Gabe asked, concern in his voice.

Clementine managed to compose herself, straightening her back and breathing deeply. She nodded and looked at Gabe, who was frowning. With the best smile she could muster, she said, "Yeah, I think I may have caught a bug or something."

"You should go have that checked out by Eleanor," he suggested, eyeing her up and down.

"I'll be fine, Gabe," she assured him, rolling her eyes. Her stomach betrayed her words as another pain made her flinch.

"He's right, Clem," Louis's voice came from in front of them. He was leaning against the stands, Javi's bat forgotten by the plate. "You might be getting sick," he added, winking at her conspicuously.

She pursed her lips but agreed nonetheless. It wouldn't do to actually get sick with a baby on the way. Dismissing Gabe's hand when he tried to help her up, Clementine left the three men at the stands and started walking down the street. Her hurried pace drew a few heads in her direction. Their presence had been accepted by practically everyone, some of them even offering them a small welcome present. Apparently, any friend of Javi's was a friend of theirs.

She spotted the big white tent from up ahead, its red cross looming over the crowded street. As she got to the door, she spotted a woman with deep grey eyes staring at her from behind a column. When they locked eyes, the woman sprinted off through an alley at full speed.

"That was weird," Clem muttered to herself as she entered the tent. A dozen beds surrounded her on either side. As she walked, she was startled by a pained moan coming from an occupied bed on her left. A bearded man was lying on it, his glasses askew and his hand clutching a pulsing bite mark on his right calf.

"Take it off! Take it off!" he kept screaming, his eyes watering.

"At this point, it's too late, Mark," the doctor beside him said, closing his eyes.

"Please, you have to try," the man pleaded.

Clementine didn't hear the rest of the conversation as she spotted Eleanor standing beside an empty bed and went to her. The older woman lifted her head from some paperwork and smiled at Clem.

"Hey there," she said, putting down the clipboard. "What brings you by?"

Hesitant, Clem shuffled her feet. She debated whether or not to tell her about her condition. "I think I may have a stomach bug," she lied.

Nodding, the doctor patted the bed beside her and adjusted her coat. She rummaged through a plastic box of supplies and took out several medical objects. Clem sat down fidgeting with her fingers. Around them, doctors and patients alike roamed the aisle. She heard soft sobs coming from the bed with the bitten man, and her eyes wandered away from them.

She spotted the same grey-eyed woman from before talking to a nearby nurse. Her wavy black hair flowed down her shoulders, its tips caressing the hem of her patterned flannel shirt. Clem was brought back from her thoughts by Eleanor asking her to open her mouth. She did as the doctor asked, and Eleanor gently placed a wooden stick on her tongue, examining the inside of her mouth.

"Hmm, nothing out of the ordinary," she muttered, squinting. "Aside from poorly kept teeth," she added with a chuckle.

"Who has time to brush their teeth these days?" Clem asked rhetorically, shrugging.

"Good point," conceded Eleanor. She placed the wooden stick on a tray, lifting Clem's shirt from the back and grabbing the stethoscope from her neck. "This might be cold."

Sure enough, when the metal surface made contact with Clementine's skin, a chill went up her spine. She breathed in and out deeply at Eleanor's command. The older woman walked around the bed and stood in front of her, repeating the procedure on her chest. She placed a soft hand on Clementine's forehead, lifting a few stray hairs that flowed from under the woman's hat.

"How long have you been feeling this way?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A couple days," Clem assured her, nodding. "It's probably just a reaction to a food I had," she speculated.

"Could be…" Eleanor conceded, raising an eyebrow at her. "Well, you don't have a fever, as far as I can tell. Take it easy for a couple days, and come back if you're still feeling under the weather by then."

"Thanks, Eleanor," Clem said, standing up and pulling down her shirt.

"No problem." The woman smiled at Clem. "So how are you and your husband adjusting to life at Richmond?" she asked.

"We're doing just fine," Clem shrugged. "Gabe's been teaching Louis to shoot, actually."

"Yeah, so I heard from Javi. So how did you guys meet?"

Clementine leaned against the bed and crossed her arms, looking down. "AJ and I were in a car crash five years ago, and his group saved us. We started dating not long after that."

"Love at first sight?" Eleanor inquired, grinning.

"You could say that," conceded Clem. "We decided to get married about two months ago. It was a very improvised thing, really."

Nodding, Eleanor finished jotting down notes on a clipboard. She reminded Clementine of the precautions she ought to take and excused herself to go check on another patient. The pregnant woman took her leave. She realized then that the bitten man had been transported out of the tent at one point during her checkup.

As she exited the tent, she started walking toward the batting cages again. She barely made it three steps before her head started spinning, however. Leaning against a pole, she closed her eyes and unsuccessfully willed the dizziness to go away. When it eventually did, Clem swayed on the spot.

The sun was about to set on the horizon, casting a deep orange hue on the surrounding buildings. Most of the people outside were lazily leaning on sidewalks and talking amongst themselves. The world around her kept spinning, and she lost her footing. Clem almost collapsed but was caught by a pair of strong arms.

"Whoa there! You fainted… straight into my arms," Louis's voice broke through her thoughts, his toothy grin flashing from above her. "You know, if you wanted my attention you didn't have to go to such extremes," he added cheekily.

Clementine rubbed her eyes and pulled away from him, a sly grin on her face. "Who says I was trying to get your attention?" she teased, pretending to look anywhere but him.

Louis crossed his arms and chuckled. "Well played, Everett. I was just looking for you, actually."

"You were?"

"Javi told me about this Saint Patrick's party a couple days from now," he told her, taking her hand. "I wanted to know if you'd like to go. It would be a good place to meet some of our neighbors for the next seven months." The couple started walking in the direction of the admin building.

"They're throwing parties?" she asked incredulously.

"Apparently they do a couple a year to keep morale high and tensions low," he explained with a shrug. When they got to the building, he opened the door for her and walked in after her. They made their way to their room, absently talking about Louis's practice with Javier. As Clementine walked in, she spotted AJ at the desk.

He was working on a drawing, the pencil box Javi had got for him open beside him. Clem cleared her throat and the boy turned around, a smile on his face. He ran to her, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. Clementine returned the gesture.

"Careful there, buddy," Louis warned, closing the door behind them. "You gotta be careful not to squeeze Louis Junior there."

"For the last time, we're not calling our baby Louis Junior," Clem exclaimed.

"It's just an idea," said Louis, rolling his eyes. He walked toward the wardrobe, shuffling out of his coat and stacking it neatly over a pile of clothes. Clem and AJ took a seat on the master bed, broken springs creaking under their weight. The dim sunlight that seeped through the boarded-up windows cast odd shadows on them and Clem fumbled in a drawer for candles.

Once they were all set up, Louis approached Clementine and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "I've got lookout duty with Gabe tonight," he informed them.

Clem straightened up and kissed him on the lips, her hand playing with the dreads on the back of his head. They broke apart as AJ started making gagging noises. "Gross," he muttered, making the couple laugh.

"I'll see you tomorrow, little dude," Louis beamed. He gave the boy a high five and took his leave of them, closing the door behind him.

Clementine turned to her charge and smiled, "We should be going to bed soon, kiddo."

"But I'm not tired," he argued, frowning.

"Still, you haven't slept well these past few days," she noted standing up. She extended her hand to him and he reluctantly took it. "I'll stay with you until you fall asleep, how about that?"

"Alright," he said.

Together they entered the adjoining room, where AJ had been staying for almost a month. It was much smaller than Clem and Louis's room, with two twin beds standing on one side. On the other, a wardrobe held a number of small garments Javi had been able to put together for the kid, most of them moth-eaten.

AJ lit three candles on his makeshift nightstand and climbed into bed. Its legs squeaked as he got into a comfortable position. Clem sat beside him, her hands on her lap and a smile on her face. At her request, the boy closed his eyes and laid his head back on the stained pillow. "Sweet dreams," Clem whispered, kissing AJ's forehead.

She sat on the bed for a while, as she'd promised AJ, thinking about the events of the day. That small episode with Gabe at the stands almost blew her cover, she realized. At one point, the man would start wondering why she was not doing as many supply runs as her husband, or why they had returned to Richmond in the first place.

Then there was the mysterious woman who had been staring at her outside the infirmary. _What was her deal?_ Clem thought. Had she been staring because she was curious about the newcomer, or was it something else? Her train of thought was broken when a soft voice from her left said,

"Hey, Clem?"

"Yes, kiddo," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

"When is the baby coming?" he inquired. His eyes were still closed, but a small smile had formed on his lips. Clem chuckled softly.

"It's going to be another seven months," she informed him. "You're gonna have to be patient."

"I can be patient," he assured her, nodding. He was silent for a moment before opening his mouth again, "What do you think it's gonna be?"

She thought about his question. The more she thought about it, the more Louis's wish of a daughter made sense. "Well, what would you like it to be?" she asked him.

"Hmm," he hummed, clearly thinking hard. "I think I want it to be a boy."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, then he could play with Louis and me," he exclaimed happily.

"A girl can do that too, you know," she noted, raising an eyebrow.

"She can?" wondered AJ, looking up at her. When she nodded, he said, "Oh then I don't mind either."

Clem smiled as the boy lay back on the pillow and closed his eyes, sighing deeply. "I'll be the best big brother," whispered AJ, "just like you were for me." After that, Clem heard nothing more than the even breathing of the boy.

Five days later, Clementine found herself on the steps to a rather large mansion in the middle of Richmond. Louis stood on her side, wearing his signature grin and his trusty trench coat. After some consideration, she had agreed to come to the Saint Patrick party with him, and she was already regretting her decision. The double doors were extremely ornate, small brass handles adorning them. Small green banners had been hung from ancient-looking lamp posts.

The doors opened up into a huge ballroom. A small number of tables were scattered around the room with appetizers and drinks for the guests. The walls were a pasty beige color, framed pictures covering most of their surface. A broken chandelier hung from the ceiling, small plastic leprechauns hanging from it.

A big speaker blasted Irish music from across the room. People of all ages danced to the rhythm in drunken stupor. Clem spotted Gabriel on the dance floor, joined by a group of people she didn't recognize. He seemed to be having a good time, so she and Louis swerved to the right of the group in search of appetizers. On the wooden tables, there was an assortment of chips and dips.

"It's almost as if the world didn't go to shit," Louis commented in Clem's ear, making her chuckle.

She helped herself to a chip and mixed it with some dipping sauce. As the chip touched her mouth, her eyes opened wide. "This is amazing."

"Enjoying the party?" Javier's voice boomed from behind them, a giddy smile on his lips. "Glad you could come!" He extended a beer bottle to Louis.

"Thanks for inviting us," Louis said, taking the bottle and nodding. He took a sip and scrunched up his nose when the liquid touched his throat.

"Yeah, it's got a bit of a kick," Javi warned, clapping Louis on the shoulder. He turned to Clementine, "Are you still up for that supply run with Gabe tomorrow?" he inquired.

"Yeah," assured Clem. "I'll be there."

"Awesome," he exclaimed, nodding at them and taking his leave.

The couple stayed on the sidelines, absently chatting about the week's events and sparing glances for Javier and Gabe, both of whom seemed to be more than tipsy. Half an hour later, Louis excused himself to go to the bathroom, claiming he'd had one too many beers. Clem chuckled, kissing him on the cheek and leaning against one of the walls to wait for him.

She examined the room, smiling as the atmosphere of joy and relaxation settled on her. It really did seem like the apocalypse had skipped this place, she thought. She still remembered the time the New Frontier was at its peak and living conditions were much bleaker. _This is much better,_ she decided. A tap on her shoulder made her turn, and she was faced with none other than Eleanor.

"Hey there," she greeted, offering Eleanor a small smile.

"Feeling better?" the woman said by way of introduction.

"Much better," Clementine assured her, "thanks for the advice the other day."

"No problem. It's my job, after all," said Eleanor, shrugging. She extended her hand to Clementine, a beer bottle in it. "Care for a drink?"

Hesitantly, Clementine took it and looked at the label. It read _'Budweiser'._ She lifted the bottle, but as soon as the liquid touched her lips, her eyes widened and she spat it out. Cleaning her mouth with her sleeve, she set the bottle on the table beside her. She heard Eleanor snap her fingers from her left.

"I knew it!" the woman exclaimed. "You're pregnant, aren't you?" she inquired.

Taken aback by the question, Clem blinked twice. "How did you know that?"

"When you came around the other day, I had my suspicions. You had all the symptoms, but you were positive it was a bug," explained Eleanor, "But I wasn't exactly sure, and I didn't want to just ask."

"So you tried to have me drink beer instead?" Clem shot back, raising an eyebrow.

"Not my best plan, I admit," said the older woman. "But you should really tell your doctor the truth next time."

Now flustered, Clementine played with the hem of her shirt. "I'm sorry; we're just not ready to tell people."

"I understand."

"Will you please not tell the rest?" Clem pleaded, "Javi already knows, of course, but no one else."

Eleanor eyed Clementine up and down, her arms crossed. Eventually, she smiled. "Of course, I promise."

"You do?"

"Yeah," said Eleanor, a smile on her face. "Doctor-patient confidentiality."


	7. Chapter 7

"Can you give me a piggyback, daddy?"

The girl inquired from his right, a beaming smile on her face. Her curly black hair flowed over her shoulders, cascading onto her back. Small dimples formed in her cheeks when she smiled. The same way Clementine's dimples formed, he realized. Louis kneeled beside her, a similar grin on his lips.

"Of course, kiddo," said Louis, presenting his shoulders to the girl. With some effort, she clambered onto his back and the man rose, making her squeal with joy. "Don't fall down, okay?" he said.

"Then don't drop me," she giggled, taking hold of his dreads with her small hands.

Louis walked forward through the forest, the afternoon sun shining on them from up above. Birds chirped as they passed, the girl's squeals bringing them out of their nests. Louis avoided low-hanging branches, skipping over fallen trunks and balancing the girl on his shoulders. They soon found themselves in a clearing. He stopped walking, raising his arms to lower the girl onto the ground.

A guttural growl erupted from a walker on the other side of the clearing, its one arm flailing in their direction. The girl let out a yelp and hid behind her father. Her tiny hands clutched his trench coat, pulling its fabric down. He cast a protective arm around her and retrieved his knife with his free hand.

"I got it," he said, charging the moaning creature at full force and plunging the knife deep into its skull. He turned and smiled at his daughter, whose face lit up. Louis noticed she had small clusters of freckles cascading from her cheeks all the way down her neck. He approached her, pocketing his knife.

"That was so cool," she exclaimed, balancing on the balls of her feet. "Could you show me how to do that sometime?"

"You got it, kiddo," he promised, ruffling the girl's curly hair. Her amber eyes closed and a chuckle escaped her.

A soft rustle of leaves on their right caught Louis's attention. He pressed a finger to his lips, shaking his head at his daughter. She nodded. He crept forward, knife in hand. As he got to a bush, Louis slapped away a sizeable branch. A mound of dirt had been dug up beside the plant, dark spots lining its surface.

Raising an eyebrow, he slowly reached for the mound and started brushing away the excess dirt. He caught a glimpse of deep blue underneath, and he frowned. Kneeling down, he dug up the rest of it and gasped. Clementine's hat was lying on the ground in front of him, the familiar splash of blood on its cap and its fabric torn.

He blinked a few times, shaking his head. "What the…" he muttered, slowly reaching for the hat. He turned it in his hand, examining it for clues. It had nothing out of the ordinary, other than the fact that it wasn't on Clem's head. "Hey, what do you think…?" he began, trailing off when he turned and found no trace of his daughter.

He stood up and looked around, Clem's hat gripped firmly in his left hand. The clearing was just as he'd found it, with the exception of the six-year-old amber-eyed girl that had been beside him not two minutes ago. Louis called for her, cupping his hands to his mouth. After minutes of screaming, he realized no answer was forthcoming.

Right as he was about to give up hope, he heard it. A voice. It came from the woods, whispering unintelligible things to him. Frowning, he strained his hearing to locate the source of the voice, but he could not find it. As seconds passed, the voice drew closer and the whispering became more intense. He was able to discern a few words.

 _Pathetic. Good for nothing. Waste of space._

As the words floated in his mind, he gasped. He realized then who that voice belonged to. "Dad?" he whispered, looking around and clutching the hat to his chest. "Is that you?" he asked, scanning the trees. The sun above began to fade, black clouds covering the sky as the voice became louder and clearer.

" _You, a father?"_ the booming voice mocked, making Louis tremble. A cold gust of wind nearly blew Clem's hat from his hand, and he slowly walked forward. _"What kind of joke is this?"_ the voice continued.

"Stop it!" exclaimed Louis, looking around for his father. "Where are you?" he yelled into the wind, the breeze picking up speed.

" _You don't even know where your little girl went just now,"_ his father jeered once more. _"How do you expect to raise a child when it's actually time?"_

"We'll figure it out, like we always do," Louis shot back, willing his legs not to give out under his weight.

A booming laughter filled his ears, making him flinch. _"You mean Clementine will figure it out,"_ the voice leered. _"While you're off being a good-for-nothing slacker!"_

"Shut up!" Louis roared. "You don't know shit!"

" _I know you, Louis,"_ his father sneered, the wind becoming stronger as he spoke.

 _Pathetic. Weak. Incompetent._

His father's words rang in his ears, drowning out the roaring of the wind around him. "Stop!" he kept saying, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "Stop it, motherfucker!"

" _Louis…"_ the voice whispered into the wind, a condescending tone in it. _"Louis…"_

The man kept his eyes shut as the chanting became louder, his knife forgotten on the ground and Clementine's hat clutched firmly in his left hand. He shook his head furiously until a different voice broke through his thoughts. It was a sweet voice, calling out his name softly.

"Louis," she kept saying. He felt a tight pressure on his shoulders, and he opened his eyes.

Louis sat up with a gasp, cold sweat clinging to his forehead. He was in his bed in Richmond, several candles lighting the room. His breathing was still uneven, short bursts of air leaving his mouth every few seconds. Clementine sat beside him, her brows tightly knitted.

"Baby?" she whispered, placing a hand on his bare shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I – I don't know," he muttered, rubbing his eyes fiercely and blinking several times. "That was a weird dream."

"Nightmare, by the looks of it," she commented, gesturing to the blankets on their bed, the fabric sprawled everywhere. She straightened up, crossing her arms in her lap. "Wanna talk about it?"

Taking a deep breath, Louis retold his dream to Clementine, sparing no detail. She smiled at the idea of him dreaming about their child. He told her about the walker he and their daughter encountered and her reaction to it. He went into detail about her appearance. The way her curly brown hair flowed with her movement, and the golden hue of her eyes.

"It seems like you're describing a younger version of me," she interrupted, a smile tugging at her lips.

"She looked very much like you, yes," he conceded, chuckling. "Why ruin perfection, after all?" he added, a smug grin on his face. Clementine blushed, looking away and brushing a strand of hair away from her face.

"Ahem, continue."

He then frowned, struggling to remember the details of what came after. His memory was a haze, and he could only remember hearing his father's voice. Recalling his dad's words as best he could, he finished talking and slumped his shoulders. He lied back on his pillow, closing his eyes.

Clementine took a moment to process the information and then followed his lead. She lay back down next to him, placing a soft hand on his chest. She usually did this at night. She enjoyed the way his chest rose and fell with his breathing, which seemed to calm her down after her own nightmares.

"You shouldn't listen to your father, Louis," she whispered, nuzzling her head in the crook of his neck. "He's not around anymore, and you're a grown man."

"I know, but he was right anyway," he countered, clumsily wrapping an arm over her shoulder and kissing the top of her head.

"He most certainly wasn't," she argued, shaking her head. "You're much more important than you give yourself credit for. I know neither me nor AJ would have made it this far without you," she assured him.

"You're just saying that," he muttered.

"I'm not," she said, rolling her eyes. After a moment of silence, an idea occurred to her. "And I can prove it," she added, smiling.

"How's that?"

Without saying a word, Clementine reached up for Louis's right hand and took it in hers. She felt the warmth that overcame her whenever she was with him, and she smiled. Clem guided his hand downward, eventually placing it on her abdomen. Her belly had begun to swell slightly, a small bump forming. She saw Louis's eyes open wide.

"Is that…?"

"It is," she confirmed, chuckling. "This is your baby, Louis. Our baby. Never think that you're not loved and appreciated by all of us. By... Louis Junior," she added reluctantly, making Louis gasp. She feigned a shudder at the name.

"You used the name," he whispered, grinning smugly.

"I was making a point," she argued, rolling her eyes. "You're the love of my life, Louis. I just hope that you realize just how much that means."

He looked down at her, tears threatening to fill his eyes, and smiled. His thumb drew circles on Clementine's belly, making her skin shiver. He could feel his baby's presence in there. Doubts still clouded his mind, but thoughts of his baby and Clementine slowly replaced them, a familiar warmth filling his body.

"I love you, babe," he said, kissing the tip of her nose. "And I love you, baby," he added, wiggling down so he'd be close to the bump on her stomach.

Clementine watched as he caressed her belly, tears filling her amber eyes. "I'm gonna take care of you. Both of you," he continued. "I'll look after you with every inch of me being. I'll give me life for you if I have to," he whispered, looking up into the loving gaze of his wife.

"That was," she stuttered, chuckling. "That was beautiful."

"You're beautiful," he countered with a smile. He leaned forward, closing the breach between their lips. His hands cupped her face, deepening the kiss as Clementine arched forward. He began planting soft kisses on her neck, making Clem sigh. "I love you, Clementine," he whispered, his hands roaming her back.

At the break of dawn, Clementine found herself at the gate of Richmond. She had a bow Javi had given her in her hand, a small leather quiver strapped to her back. Due to her already swelling stomach, she'd opted to wear a baggier shirt over her usual tank top. It was still way too early to tell people.

Gabe was waiting for her there, a heavy assault rifle hung over his shoulder. The guards took her coming as a signal and started opening the gates for them. "You're late," said Gabe when she caught up to him.

"Yeah, sorry about that," she said, blushing. "I got caught up."

"Don't worry about it," he dismissed, leading her out of the community and into the streets of the dilapidated town. Broken cars littered the streets, most of their doors and hoods corroded after years of disrepair. The rising sun cast elongated shadows on the pair, making them seem larger than they were.

After twenty minutes of walking in silence, they got to the edge of a forest where most of their hunting was done. A fence divided the grounds with a small wooden gate on the edge. Gabe opened the gate for Clementine, closing it behind them as they ventured into the wilderness.

Clem held the bow firmly in front of her in search of wildlife while Gabe scanned the perimeter. As the wind picked up, tree leaves rustled overhead. Gabriel made a point to single out spots he'd already visited previously so as not to over-hunt. "We make a pretty good team," he commented as they stepped over a fallen tree two times their width.

"We do, don't we?" she agreed, offering Gabe a small smile. When they heard a twig snap ahead of them, Clem pressed her finger to her lips. "Up ahead, forty feet," she whispered, drawing an arrow on her bow and creeping forward.

She was careful not to step over fallen leaves, scanning the tree line for movement. A blur of brown caught her attention on her left. On a tree branch, about eight feet off the ground was a squirrel, its tiny hands grasping a nut. She aimed her weapon at the animal, taking a deep breath before releasing the arrow.

The metal tip pierced the squirrel's neck, blood spurting from the wound. The pair raced forward, examining their first kill. "Not bad," said Gabe, nodding and fastening the tiny animal to his belt.

"Thanks."

They kept the same routine after that. While Gabe checked for threats around them, Clementine's keen eye scoured the ground and trees for meat to bring back home. Every now and then, they would find mushroom or berries that Eleanor had given them the all clear to collect. Two hours later, they had attained a total of seven squirrels and ten sizeable sparrows.

Around noon, they arrived at a clearing they deemed worthy of a lunch break. Gabe set his rifle against a trunk, exchanging it for an apple they'd brought for nourishment. Clementine did the same.

"Good hunting today," he complimented through a mouthful of apple, making Clementine chuckle.

"Thanks," she said, nodding. "And thank you for having my back."

"My pleasure," he assured her.

They ate in silence after that, basking in the peacefulness of nature. Birds chirped from the trees, a mellow song of their composition. The wind had subsided by that point, replaced by the sweltering heat of mid-spring. Sweat clung to Clem's forehead, her curly hair sticking to her skin. She took off her hat, placing it neatly on the trunk she sat on, and swiped the droplets with her sleeve.

"It's way too hot today."

"I need to tell you something."

They spoke in unison, neither saying anything for a few moments after that. Clementine raised an eyebrow, biting into what was left of her apple. "Sure, what is it?"

"Um," he stuttered, searching for words that wouldn't come. "You remember when we met?"

Taken aback by the question, Clementine nodded slowly. "Yeah, when I helped Javi save your ass back at that junkyard," she teased, making the man chuckle.

"Exactly," he said. "Well, I don't know if you knew this, but I had a major crush on you at the time." He let the words come out in a rapid string that Clementine had trouble keeping up with.

"I – I actually knew that," she whispered, looking away.

"You did?"

A twig broke a few feet away from them, and they turned to see a small squirrel skipping past them. Clementine dismissed the animal and turned back to Gabe.

"Yeah, Javi told me right before I left you guys," she explained.

" _Pendejo_ ," the man muttered. He sighed, and looked Clementine in the eye as he said, "Well, I still do."

"You still what?" she repeated, blinking fast.

"I'm still in love with you," he whispered, looking down.

Clem stood silent for a few seconds, processing the information. _Gabe's still in love with me?_ she thought incredulously. Crossing her arms, she frowned. "You do know I'm married, right?"

"I know. But you and I both know we make more sense than you guys," he claimed, to which Clementine scoffed.

"Excuse me?"

"We've known each other longer, and we have quite a lot in common," he explained, finally looking Clem in the eye. "Much more than Louis and you do, anyway."

"I can't believe you'd say that!" she spat, standing up. She swiped the hat off the trunk and swiftly put it on her head. With a final glare in Gabe's direction, she turned and stormed off into the woods. Gabe clumsily got to his feet and went after her, catching up and grabbing her arm.

"Wait, Clem, I'm sorry," he said. The woman slapped his hand away and put her hands on her hips.

"Leave me alone, Gabe," she suggested, her tone dangerously low. "I just need some time to think."

Respecting her order, Gabriel backed off and let her storm off deeper into the forest. He stood there, watching her walk away, and cursed himself. Walking back into their little makeshift camp, he sat down beside his rifle and buried his face in his hands.

"Fucking stupid, Gabriel," he muttered. "'I'm still in love you!' Idiot," he berated himself.

He contemplated the ramifications of his little stunt, trying to come up with a way to make things right. With every possible outcome he foresaw, none helped his situation. He sulked for a few minutes, respecting Clementine's wish to be left alone. _Maybe this is for the best,_ he thought, _now you know she doesn't want you._ "Yeah, but now she might hate me," he countered.

His rambling thoughts were cut short when a piercing scream tore through the forest. He got to his feet and ran in the direction of the sound, his rifle secured in his hands. _That came from Clem's direction,_ he realized with a jolt. He willed his legs to go faster, zigzagging through the trees and shrubbery. He arrived a clearing much smaller than the first.

Looking around, he saw no signs of a struggle. Through the trees, he could see no one at first glance. Whoever had been here had seemingly vanished into thin air. He stepped forward and suddenly stopped on his tracks when he spotted the only clue they had left.

Clementine's hat was lying on the ground by a thin tree, its owner nowhere in sight.

"Clem?" he asked into the silence. It seemed, however, that no answer was forthcoming.

"Clementine!"


	8. Chapter 8

"I don't care. I want to see the son of a bitch!"

Louis's yells echoed through the halls, his face flustered after having run down the stairs. AJ stood awkwardly beside him. He'd never seen Louis this way. A robust man stood between Louis and the office door, crossing his arms and denying him entry. The freckled man's glare could have pierced through his skull.

Before Louis had time to protest any longer, the office door opened and Javi stepped outside. "It's okay, Charlie. Let them through," he commanded. The man named Charlie nodded at Javier and stepped aside, eyeing Louis and AJ warily.

They followed Javier in, the older man sighing in frustration. Inside, a number of candles had been lit, casting odd shadows on the walls. Eleanor and Gabe stood to the side. The latter had his hands in his pockets, his eyes averting Louis's general area.

"What the fuck happened?" Louis began by way of introduction, slamming his hands on Javier's desk. "I woke up a few minutes ago to a woman telling me my wife is missing!"

"Louis, I know how you feel–," Javi began before being cut off.

"No, you don't know how I feel!" the man spat, fire burning in his brown eyes. "Now tell me what happened," he seethed, venom in his words.

He heard Gabe clear his throat and turned to the man, waiting for an explanation. Gabe walked to his uncle's side, crossing his arms and leaning on the desk. He sighed and looked down.

"Clem and I were hunting together," he began, pursing his lips. "At one point she had to go to the bathroom, so she walked off."

"And you let her walk away alone?" bellowed Louis, throwing his arms in the air.

"What was I supposed to do?" Gabe shot back, standing up straight. Even then, Louis still towered over him menacingly. "You wanted me to go with her?"

"Of course, you moron!" Louis snapped, "You don't let a pregnant woman go by herself in this world!

Gabriel shook his head, blinking rapidly. "Hold on, what?" he mumbled. "What do you mean, pregnant?"

Cursing himself under his breath, Louis reeled back, kicking a trash can. He ran his hands through his hair; a habit he'd picked up from Clem long ago. "Alright, yes," he conceded, rubbing his face. "Clementine's pregnant. We didn't wanna tell you because we're not ready to tell people yet."

"Then how was I supposed to know that?" Gabe spat, stepping toward Louis. Eleanor and Javier watched from the sidelines, seeing the fight unfold.

"You're supposed to look after her no matter what," Louis reminded him, "That's what Javier here said to us on our first day here. ' _We always look out for one another on supply runs',_ " he repeated in a mocking tone.

"I lost track of her for a second and–."

"And it only cost you my wife!"

The man ran a hand through his dreads once more, pulling them back. AJ stood silently watching his father figure spiral into rage, nervously fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. Javier stepped in between Gabe and Louis, sighing.

"Look, I know the situation sucks," he began, attempting to cool tensions. "But we can't keep arguing amongst ourselves. We have to figure out a plan to get Clementine back, okay?"

"Yeah, damn right we do," Louis exclaimed, slamming his fist on the desk.

"I mean, she could be dead for all we know," Gabe commented, crossing his arms. Fast as lightning, Louis launched himself at the man, taking hold of his shirt collar. He pinned Gabe to the wall, his eyes turning a deep shade of black.

"Say that again," he demanded, his face barely an inch away from Gabriel's. "Say my wife is dead!"

"Alright, sorry," Gabe spluttered, lifting his hands in the air. The freckled man let go of the other's shirt and stepped back, his nostrils flaring.

Javi helped Gabe up and nodded at Eleanor, who left the office. He looked from Gabe to Louis and then to AJ. The boy crossed his arms, his stance on the matter clear. "You guys go cool off, and we'll talk about this later."

Reluctantly, Louis agreed and was ushered outside by AJ. The boy gripped his hand firmly. They walked through the hallways, some people's head's turning in their direction. Louis turned a corner in the direction of his room, AJ trailing close behind him with downcast eyes. Once in the suite, Louis let himself fall on the king-sized bed and sighed.

"Fuck," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. _When did things get so complicated?_ "This is a dream, right?"

"My dreams usually include Clementine," AJ commented, sitting beside him on the bed. "So I don't think so."

"A little positivity would be nice, kiddo," the man jested, attempting the best smile he could muster.

AJ eyed him curiously, "Pretty hard being optimistic, Louis."

"Yeah, I know," said Louis, sitting up and looking down at the boy. "How are you holding up?"

He placed a comforting hand on the kid's shoulder, squeezing lightly. AJ looked down at his hands and sighed. "Do you really think Clem's alive?"

"I know she is," Louis assured him, nodding. "I have to," he whispered.

The boy silently stood up and walked toward the adjoining room's door. Louis watched him leave, fighting back tears. As the door clicked shut behind AJ, Louis let himself flop on the bed. A heavy sigh escaped his lips. He rubbed his face vehemently, unsuccessfully trying to wake himself up.

He felt as though he was in a dream. _A nightmare, more like it,_ he thought. One of his worst fears had just come true, after all. He sat up, looking through the window. The afternoon sun shone over the streets of Richmond as a score of people milled about their day.

A robust woman pinned clothes to a long wire that hung between the buildings. A small girl was handing her pins as the woman worked, cheerfully humming to a tuneless song. His attention was taken by the girl, who had short brown hair and glasses. Her cheeks were red and her eyes alight with joy. She wore a simple white sundress. Her exposed knees were scraped; probably from playing with the other kids on the block.

His thoughts drifted to the dream he'd had the night before. He couldn't remember much, but the image of his daughter was vivid in his mind. She'd had beautiful golden eyes and a face full of freckles that would put his to shame. He could still remember how incredibly happy he had been just by being in her presence. Her chuckle had sent goose bumps up his arms.

He thought about Clementine and her sudden disappearance. She wouldn't just vanish out of thin air like that, he knew. Whatever happened, someone had taken her; and he would find her.

Two hours later, Louis found himself sitting in a different room than before. Javi claimed it was the command center, its walls lined with a number of maps of the terrain. Gabe and his uncle stood on one side of the table while Louis stood on the other. The freckled man eyed the others warily, sulking in silence. A knock on the door grabbed their attention.

"Come in," Javi commanded. The door opened and Eleanor walked it with a woman beside her. Louis saw the newcomer and frowned. It was the woman he had bumped into on the street a month ago, he realized. She gave him a sympathetic smile, which he forced himself to return.

"I didn't know you'd be joining us," Javi said to the grey-eyed woman, crossing his arms. "Louis, this is Elizabeth."

"Lizzie," the woman corrected, extending a hand to him.

"Louis," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Not to be rude or anything, but why is she here?" he directed the question at Eleanor, who took a seat on a chair beside the table.

"Lizzie here is the head of security in Richmond," she explained as Lizzie took a seat next to her. "I figured we'd need some helping sorting out this situation."

"Right. The more the merrier," Louis quipped, clapping his hands. "Let's begin."

As the group gathered around the table, Javi fumbled inside a chest to his right. Seconds later, he produced a map of West Virginia and laid it on the table, flattening out its edges. He examined it thoroughly, placing a finger at one spot on the west.

"This is us," he announced, looking around. "Gabe, where did you say you guys were before Clem disappeared?"

Gabe looked up at Louis and sighed, receiving a stern glare from the freckled man. He bowed his head, searching the map for a moment. The man jabbed a finger on a spot a few miles south of Richmond's position. "There, we were about a click away from the southern border."

"Did you see anyone?" Lizzie asked then, raising an eyebrow.

"Not really," he replied, shrugging. "They did leave her hat behind," he added hastily, fumbling for it in his backpack.

He offered it to Louis, who took it harshly from his hands. "And you waited until now to tell me?" he spat.

Gabe chose not to comment, instead looking down at the map and examining the zone around Clem's disappearance. They all stood silently inspecting the map, looking for clues that weren't there. At one point, Lizzie gasped and looked up at Louis with a smile.

"What is it?" he asked, confused.

She turned to Javi and raised an eyebrow, "You don't think it could be the Right Arm, do you?"

"They wouldn't mess with us, would they?" piped Eleanor, concern filling her voice.

Javi thought about it for a moment before looking at Clem's hat in Louis's hands, "They would if they didn't know she was with us. Remember Gabe wasn't with her, and she's very new to the community."

Louis's head snapped from Lizzie to Javi to Eleanor. "Will someone tell me what's going on?"

Javi frowned and looked up at Louis, pursing his lips. "The Right Arm is a community of survivors that once lived in Richmond. They left about a year after Joan fell," he explained.

"Their leader is this ex-military man named John Myers," Lizzie continued, "He believed in Joan's views, and he wasn't very happy with Javi's way of leading."

"He even tried to organize a coup," Eleanor said, her brows knitting. "We got lucky when one of his associates confessed to it before it could happen. He's been running this community down south for years, but we've never been able to locate them."

"So what are they like, mole-people?" Louis asked, making Lizzie chuckle. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "How will we rescue Clem if we don't even know where they are?"

"We don't even know if they do have her," Eleanor put in, frowning. "She could have been taken by someone else."

"Well, right now our best bet is this Right Arm business, right?" Louis argued, his shoulders tensing.

Gabe and Javi shared a look, an unspoken word travelling between them. Louis eyed them warily, slamming his hands on the table.

"Stop doing that!" he snapped, his nostrils flaring. "If you have any ideas, say them out loud."

Javi nodded at Gabe and the young man squared his shoulders. "We think there's someone who could help us."

Clementine could feel the cold surface of the concrete floor against her cheek, her head pounding. Her stomach grumbled and her legs ached. She attempted to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt heavy as lead. With every ounce of strength in her body, she propped herself up with her hands.

She managed to turn around enough so that she was lying on her back. Nausea overcame her, and the urge to throw up became unbearable. She leaned to the side, expelling what little contents were in her stomach. As she went back to her original position, she finally had the strength to open her eyes. When she did, her amber eyes scanned the place as best they could.

She was in a dimly lit room. A few chairs stood around her with candles on them, giving the room an eerie glow. The walls were a dull grey with odd markings scrawled across their surface. Most were words, thought they didn't make much sense.

 _Out. Dead. Please._

Clem managed to sit up slowly, though her head was still pounding. She got up, her legs almost giving out under her weight. _How long had she been out of it?_ The walls seemed to be made out of concrete as well. A barred window stood at the top of one of them, moonlight shining through it. On the opposite wall was a door. It was made entirely of metal, its edges corroded from years of disrepair. It had a small compartment at chest height, and her side did not have a handle.

"Of course I get thrown in a fucking prison," she muttered, angrily kicking the door. She heard a loud echoing metallic sound erupt from it and recoiled.

As no answer to her protest was forthcoming, she paced the room thinking of ways out. The window was much too small to crawl through, even in an ideal condition. The door seemed to be reinforced from the other side, probably to keep her locked up for good. Looking around she could not see any kind of tool she could use to her advantage.

"That's it!" she exclaimed, fumbling inside her jacket. _Damn it,_ "Of course they took my knife."

While she examined one of the chairs and its sturdiness, soft steps emerged from the other side of the metal door. She turned to it just as it opened slowly, and two armed guards walked in. One of them, a woman with a large scar on her left cheek, stepped forward and promptly slapped Clementine, knocking her to the ground.

She spat out blood onto the floor, looking up at the woman in a fiery glare. The guard snickered at her and was about to strike her once more when someone whistled behind her. She stiffened, stepping back and falling in line with her partner. From the floor, Clem heard a different set of footsteps. This one was stronger and deeper.

With effort, she looked up at the man who now stood in front of her, eyeing her warily. A smile spread across his face.

"Well hello there, Clementine."


	9. Chapter 9

"Well hello there, Clementine."

The man kneeled beside her, tilting his head. He was a tall man with a thick brown beard. His eyes were a deep blue, which contrasted with his graying hair. She looked up into them, glaring daggers at him. _How did he know her name?_ His voice was gravelly, which sent shivers up her spine as memories of Carver flooded her mind.

"Who are you?" she spat, wincing as pain shot through her abdomen. The man slowly chewed on a toothpick as if weighing her words. He looked back at what were undoubtedly his subordinates and commanded they leave Clementine and him alone.

He stood up, eyeing her from above with a disdainful look. "How rude of me," he apologized, grabbing one of the chairs and taking a seat. "My name is John Myers, but you can call me Myers," he said, extending a hand to her.

Clementine looked at it with raised eyebrows, choosing to stay on the floor. Anger boiling inside her, she spat on his face, making him flinch. He pursed his lips, closing his hand, and cleared his throat.

"So much for a friendly introduction," he croaked, using a dirty handkerchief to wipe his face. "You should be thanking me. I'm the reason you're alive."

"Funny, I thought you were the reason I'm locked up in this chicken coop," she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"While that may be true, some of my… associates weren't as keen to keep you alive," he disclosed, playing with the toothpick in his mouth. "I convinced them otherwise."

"Gee, thank you," she mocked, "you must be a saint or something."

"I wanted to ask you some questions if you please?" he attempted the diplomatic route, ignoring her jab at him.

She stared at him for a moment, weighing her choices. There was definitely no way out of this by force. The man was well-built, his arms thick as tree trunks. He wore a military uniform with a name tag on the left breast that read 'Myers'. Sighing, she nodded her agreement.

"Let's start with an easy one, shall we?" he began with a smile. "What group are you from?"

"You think I'm stupid enough to tell you that?" she spat, rolling her eyes again.

Myers pinched the bridge of his nose, "That's not what I want to hear, Clementine."

"How do you know my name?" she asked. With a herculean effort, she lifted herself off the ground, propping herself up with her elbow. The pain in her stomach hadn't subsided, but she fought the urge to scream.

"I know you, Clementine," he said, raising an eyebrow. "We have something in common, at least. We were both part of the New Frontier," he explained. He pulled his shirt down and exposed his chest, revealing a round black scar over his left breast. The same one that had adorned Clementine's arm for years.

Clementine's hand instinctively went to her left arm, where her own scar had been etched on her skin almost a decade ago. She thought of her time in that glorified prison, enduring the pain of staying with those monsters for AJ's sake. _How times have changed._

"So what if we were?" She opted for a civil tone, seeing no benefit in putting up a fight. "They kicked me out nine years ago."

"That's true," he mused, nodding pensively. "You see, my friends and I have a little system set up. All I need to know from you is what community you're from? You'll be back home safely in no time," the man quipped.

Her brow knitted close. "I'm alone," she lied, looking the man straight in the eye.

"You're alone," he repeated, raising an eyebrow. "I don't suppose this walkie-talkie you were carrying was for safekeeping, was it?" He fumbled for it on the back of his belt and waved it in the air. Luckily for her, she was most likely out of range of Gabe's, so there was no way of them communicating with him. Unfortunately, that meant there was no way of her reaching out to Richmond…

She thought back to her walkie-talkie from when all of this started. She'd used to talk to her parents with it, having secret conversations with her father when her mom was out of town for work. Memories of using it to talk to the man who'd kidnapped her the first time flooded her mind. The second time around wasn't much fun either…

"It was my father's," he explained calmly. "When he died, he asked me to take care of it for him."

"That so?" Myers drawled, inspecting the device thoroughly. "Was your father in the military?"

Taken aback by the question, she blinked. "Yeah," she blurted.

"Air force?"

"Yes."

Myers eyed her suspiciously and stood up. He moved the chair sideways and paced in front of her, his breathing even and his footsteps strong. Clem stared at him as he walked, her eyes moving back and forth. Out of nowhere, the man raised a hand and smacked the woman in the face. She buckled back from the blow, blood spurting from her lip.

"Stop lyin', girly," he barked, stomping forward and towering over her. He raised his arm once more, making Clementine flinch slightly. The man smirked, lowering his arm again. He turned his back on her, pocketing the walkie-talkie. "It's alright, though. You'll talk eventually," he drawled.

"They always do," she heard him say before the heavy metal door closed behind him.

As he left, Clementine allowed herself to spit the blood onto the floor. She quickly clutched her stomach, caressing it softly. "You're okay," she kept whispering, closing her eyes. Just as she'd imagined, she saw no foreseeable way out from the inside. With every ounce of her body, she prayed that Louis would find a way to her, and soon.

Back in Richmond, Louis stood in his room, furiously packing supplies into a backpack. The midday sun shone on him through the window, its warmth the only comfort the freckled man could find in his current situation. AJ stood at the threshold between their rooms, hesitantly fidgeting with his small hands.

The boy opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His whole world had been turned upside down in a few hours. For as long as he knew, Clem had been there for him in everything. He'd never thought of her in a position of danger. It was Clementine, after all… But here they were, about to embark on a mission to attempt to rescue her.

When the man turned around, he jumped at the sight of AJ. "Jesus man, you're gonna give me a heart attack one day."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," said AJ, looking down. "Where are you going, Louis?" the boy asked in a weak whisper.

Louis walked forward and kneeled in front of AJ, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm going with Javi to find a man that might be able to help up get Clem back."

"But do _you_ have to go? Can't Javi go alone?"

"I gotta go with him, little dude," Louis argued, frowning. "I need to know if there's a chance at finding her, and I'm not waiting around to find out."

"Then I want to go with you," the boy decided, puffing out his chest. Louis pursed his lips and shook his head sadly.

"I can't let you do that, kiddo," he told him. "I already lost Clem; I'm not risking losing you."

"I can take care of myself," AJ declared, scrunching up his nose. "Clem is the only mom I've ever known, Louis. I can't lose her…" he trailed off, tears welling in his eyes.

The freckled man wasted no time in embracing the boy, stroking his back in a soothing rhythm and whispering comforting words in his ear. "We won't lose her, little man. I promise you I'll find her, even if it's the last thing I do."

"Pinky promise?" AJ said suddenly, lifting up his left pinky. Louis chuckled at that and promptly nodded, indulging the boy.

AJ helped Louis pack the rest of the supplies Javi had said he'd need, and together they made their way to the main office. The robust man named Charlie stood on one side of the door, his arms crossed menacingly. With a simple nod, he let them through the door. On the other side, Javi sat at his desk, a map sprawled over it.

Louis and AJ took a seat on the other side of the desk, eyeing Javier. Under the faint light of the candles, Louis noticed the older man's graying hair and beard. He had bags under his eyes, and faint wrinkles had started forming on the edges of his eyes. It was then that the freckled man realized just how old Javi looked currently.

"So," Louis began by way of introduction, making Javi look up from the map. "Who is this Jesus character Gabe mentioned earlier?"

The older man sighed and propped his elbows on the desk, intertwining his fingers. "He and his people helped Richmond a long time ago when it was overrun by a herd. I reckon his group could have encountered the Right Arm in the past, and could point us in the right direction."

"But?" Louis said, frowning. _There's always a 'but'._

"But it might be hard convincing him to help us," Javi explained, leaning back on his chair. "A few years ago, the Hilltop – that's the name of his community – was attacked by a group calling themselves the Saviors, and he sent for our help."

"And you didn't help them," Louis concluded, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"That's right. We were barely self sustainable by then. We couldn't handle losing people to someone else's war," Javi went on, closing his eyes. "I wanted to help him. I really did."

Sensing a sensitive topic, Louis cleared his throat. "So where is this–, Hilltop, was it?"

Javier nodded and pointed at a spot on the map. It had a drawing of a small mound of dirt on a plain a few miles from a town called Alexandria. The candles on either side of the map cast irregular shadows on the paper as Louis examined it, calculating in his head the distance between there and Richmond.

"It's about 150 miles north, so we'll take a car," Javi assured him, seemingly reading Louis's mind. "We'll be there in a few hours."

"What about AJ?" Louis asked, gesturing to the boy, who perked his head up at the mention of his name.

"He can stay with Gabe while we are out," Javi said, which earned a snort from Louis.

"Really? Gabe?" he questioned, crossing his arms. AJ followed the man's lead and crossed his arms as well, frowning at Javier.

"I know you don't trust him, Louis, but he can take care of him for a day."

Louis weighed his proposal, eyeing AJ on his left. Although the prospect of leaving the boy with the man who'd come bearing the news of his wife's disappearance wasn't pleasant, time _was_ of the essence. He didn't know how long Clementine had left, and he wasn't about to test his luck.

"Alright," he breathed, shaking his head.

"But –," AJ began before being cut off by Louis.

"You'll be fine, little man," he assured him. "I won't be gone long, and you can just stay in your room and draw, right?"

"I guess," AJ shrugged, looking down at his hands.

"Then it's settled," Javi announced, getting up. The pair followed the leader out of the office, nodding to the guard outside. When they got to the staircase, AJ gave Louis a big hug, extracting another promise to come back safely from Louis, and ran up the stairs toward his room. The two men chuckled and exited the building.

They walked through the streets of Richmond toward the main gate, where two armed guards stood atop the high walls. A big red R had been painted on the inside of the gate, Louis noticed. They walked to the right, where a small row of four cars stood. By the nearest one, Louis spotted a grey-eyed woman fidgeting with her long curly hair.

"Lizzie?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey Javi," she smiled enthusiastically, "Louis," she added, nodding at him.

"I asked her to come with us as reinforcement," Javi explained, handing her one of the rifles that sat on the back seat of a blue sedan. "She's a great shot, and I trust her with my life."

"That's uh, good," Louis trailed off, jumping back when they heard the distinctive grinding noise of the gate opening. From a distance, he spotted the familiar head of straight blonde hair walking towards him. Allowing himself to smile, he embraced Violet fiercely.

"Easy there, cowboy," she teased, patting him on the back. "What's the matter?"

Louis looked back at Javi and then at Violet. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Clem's been kidnapped."

"WHAT?" Violet boomed, her eyes wide as plates. "How? When?" she stammered.

"Yesterday," he informed her. "She was on a hunt with Gabe, and he lost track of her."

"I – I can't believe it."

"Javi and I are going to another community to ask for help from what I assume is their leader. Some Jesus guy or whatever," he said.

"And I thought today would be a normal day for one," she commented, her brows tightly knitted.

"Hey Vi, would you mind keeping an eye on AJ?" Louis inquired. "I left him with Gabe, but I don't really trust him. Not anymore. He's in his room right now."

Violet nodded, "Of course, I'll take him back to the school with me," she croaked. "I'll tell the others as well. They will want to help, you know?"

"I know, but for now I have this under control," Louis said, offering the blonde a weak smile.

"You know you don't have to act tough for me, right?" said Violet, raising an eyebrow. "I can see right through you," she teased, punching him lightly on the shoulder.

Without a second thought, Louis embraced her again, fighting back tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. Violet returned the pressure, closing her eyes and thinking about all the times he'd consoled her. She'd be damned if her best friend was going to go through this alone.

"We're going to find her, Louis," she assured him, holding him at arm's length. "I promise."


	10. Chapter 10

"Watch out for that one, little man."

AJ heeded Violet's advice, unsheathing his knife and plunging it into the side of a walker's skull. It fell to the ground with a thud, lying lifeless before the boy. He looked down at it with a frown, kicking its head for good measure and cleaning the blade of the knife on his jeans. They kept their pace, resorting to a silent walk from then on.

They'd been walking through the forest for over a day, stopping barely two hours for a nap in the middle of the night. Violet didn't want to waste any time. The afternoon sun shone over them brightly, covering them in a blanket of warmth. A soft breeze blew past them, rustling the leaves around them.

Violet looked at the boy a few paces ahead of her. She thought about what he must have been feeling. Clementine was the only mother AJ had ever known, and to have that taken away so suddenly must not be pretty. Hell, Violet knew a little about that.

After another hour of trekking, the school's walls loomed ahead of them. When she spotted Aasim on the watchtower, she waved at him. He replied with a thumbs-up and called for Willy to open the gate. Once inside, Aasim approached her with a worried expression. She wasn't due back for another week, after all.

"Something happen?" he asked, eyeing AJ next to her, who wouldn't meet his eye. "I thought you were staying all week."

"Change of plans," she replied, crossing her arms. Before she could continue, Minnie walked out of the dorms and spotted her, running directly at her. The redhead wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, the blonde returning the pressure in kind.

"What is it?" Minnie asked, raising an eyebrow at Violet.

"Clem's been taken," she said simply.

A round of gasps coursed through the group, all their eyes fixed on AJ and Violet. They all talked at once, asking a million questions Violet didn't have the answers to. With a stern glare, she shut them all up and cleared her throat.

"Apparently, she and Gabe were on a hunting trip and he lost track of her," she explained to the agitated group. "Louis left with Javi not long after I arrived to go to some community up north that they think could help them find her."

"They don't even know who took them?" exclaimed Ruby, covering her mouth.

"They have an idea," corrected Violet, "But no, they don't know for sure. I brought AJ here because Louis didn't want Gabe taking care of him."

"I can take care of myself," AJ muttered, the first words he'd spoken since they'd left Richmond.

Aasim grinned at him and nodded, "Of course you can, buddy. But it's good that you're here with us while everything is sorted out."

"How was Louis?" Minnie inquired, pursing her lips.

Violet sighed, shaking her head. "He's bad, guys," she told them. She figured lying wasn't getting her anywhere, so honesty was the way to go. "He didn't even try to give me that stupid handshake he always does."

"Poor thing, he must be going through hell," commented Ruby.

Tenn walked forward, approaching AJ. He opened his arms, embracing the ten-year-old. Taken aback, AJ stared at him for a second before sinking into the hug, his eyes tightly shut. The rest of the adults stared at them, lowering their eyes.

"So," said Omar, crossing his arms and looking around. "How can we help?"

The engine of the sedan growled at Javi stepped on the pedal. They were cruising through a desolate road, a good number of broken down cars littering it every now and then. Louis looked out the window, fidgeting with his fingers.

"How are you doing, man?" he heard Javi's voice on his left, pulling him out of his rather grim thoughts.

He looked back at the older man, his shoulders slumped and his eyes tired. "I don't even know," he managed to get out, his voice hoarse.

"Look, I know this is not what you want to hear right now," Javi began, casting a side glance at the freckled man. "But you gotta get your head in the game. Clementine needs you right now, and sulking in a corner is not gonna bring her back any faster."

"I know, Javier," Louis snapped, frowning. "It just sucks. We've never been apart this long without knowing when we'd see each other again, is all."

"I understand," Javi claimed, squinting to see a sign on the side of the road that read 'Alexandria – 30 miles'. "We're nearly there," he added.

When Louis sighed deeply, Lizzie placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and he offered her a sad smile. He wasn't used to sympathy from people who weren't Clem. His wife knew all of his secrets, both good and bad. Now, she was trapped god knew where and he didn't even know where to begin looking.

"But enough about that," Javi said, changing the subject. He fumbled for words before snapping his fingers. "Tell me about your wedding. How did that happen?"

Louis smiled at the question, glad to reminisce about good times. He cleared his throat. "It was about 3 months ago," he began, looking far into the distance. "We were doing a supply run with Aasim – that's our leader currently – and we happened upon a broken down car with a dead couple inside."

"Already loving the preamble," Javi teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Bear in mind, I'd been thinking about popping the question for some time, but I wanted it to be perfect for her," Louis explained, fingering the ring in his left hand. "So when I inspected these corpses and saw their rings, I knew it was a sign from the universe. By sheer dumb luck or chance, they were inscribed with the initials C and L."

"These people were probably not called Louis and Clementine, of course," he said, shrugging. "But I wasn't complaining. So, I had the motive and the rings. I just needed the perfect time."

Javier listened intently as Louis retold the story, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

"A few days later, it was mine and Clem's five year anniversary. So Violet let us have the day off to do as we pleased," he continued, remembering the day they'd spent in the piano room, playing random songs and making up lyrics as they went. Javi coughed and raised an eyebrow at the man, smirking.

Louis caught his look and frowned. "No, not that, you animal," he said, chuckling and shaking his head. "We played piano all day, and then at night I took her to the roof so we could star-gaze."

"That's very romantic," commented Lizzie from behind him.

"Thank you, Lizzie," he said, smiling a real smile for the first time in days. "So after a while, I got on one knee and fumbled through my proposal speech. I was so nervous she'd say no," he added, chuckling.

"Haven't you guys been together for five years already?" Javi asked, slowing down as they saw a sign saying they were close.

"Yeah, but who knows. Maybe she wouldn't like me anymore after almost tripping on my own feet."

"I doubt that," Javi assured him, pulling up next to a thicket of trees that opened up to a dirt path. The trio got out and started walking down it, the sun starting to set behind them and casting large shadows on them. They walked for about ten minutes until they reached a large wooden wall that spanned the length of a rather large stretch of flat land.

Sentries stood about fifty feet apart on the wall, most of them currently unmanned. They approached the gate slowly, raising their arms when two guards with assault rifles trained their weapons at them.

"Who goes there?" boomed the deep voice of one of the guards, the safety of his rifle coming off.

"I'm Javier Garcia," he said, gesturing to himself slowly. "These are my friends Louis and Lizzie. We came here looking for Jesus."

"Is that so?" asked the other guard in a mocking tone, glancing at his partner and chuckling.

A third voice, much higher than the guards', came from the other side of the gate. "Open the gate!"

"You got it, boss," the first one called, pulling on a rope and sliding the reinforced gate out of the way. As it opened, Louis saw a lean woman walking their way. She had her straight brown hair cut short, small amounts of grime covering it on the right side. Her clothes were simple: a beige tank top paired with tight ripped jeans and thick leather boots.

She stopped in front of them, eyeing the trio with caution. "So you're Javier," she said by way of introduction, looking the man up and down.

"I am," he replied, nodding slowly. He looked behind her, expecting Jesus to be accompanying her. "And who might you be?"

The woman's jaw tightened, glancing at Javi's company. "Name's Maggie," she said, "I run the Hilltop."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Maggie," Javi said, stepping forward and stretching his hand. He heard the distinctive click of a gun being cocked from behind Maggie and decided against his amicable approach, stepping back in line with the other two.

"What do you want?" Maggie asked, crossing her arms. Louis noticed she favored her right side when standing, probably from an injury.

"We're here because we need help," Louis answered for Javi, his brows tightly knitted. "My wife's been kidnapped by a group, and Javi here thinks you may be able to help us track her down."

"Is that so?" she replied, tilting her head at Javi. "You're asking for our assistance? How rich."

"Look, I know you guys have a history with Richmond," Louis said, stepping forward. The guns clicked again, but he didn't back down, instead choosing to stand his ground. "But I'm asking you from the bottom of my heart; please help me find my wife. She's all I have left in this world, and I would never forgive myself if something happened to her. I'll do anything for you, please."

The leader of the Hilltop raised her fist, calling for her guards to stand down. She eyed Louis up and down, his shoulders slumped and his face crestfallen. Pursing her lips, she cursed under her breath and nodded. "Alright, come inside."

Silently, Javi and Lizzie shared a look before following Maggie inside, Louis right behind her. The people in the inner courtyard stopped doing their chores for a moment to stare at the newcomers, some of them sharing whispered words with each other. Louis's eyes were fixed on what looked to be the main admin building. As they walked inside the building, Maggie said something they couldn't hear to a man at the door, and he left the room.

Maggie led the trio inside her office and sat down behind the desk, intertwining her fingers. Louis, Javi, and Lizzie sat awkwardly on three seats on the other side of the desk, looking at Maggie and at each other. Louis looked around the room, taking in their surroundings.

A few painting hung in the walls, most of them depicting some historical event. Half the frames had been torn down, the only part of the pictures left being the canvas on which they were painted and small metal tacks from where they hung. On the desk were a few trinkets, along with a charging base for walkie-talkies. Most of the slots were filled with one except for two, which were missing.

Barely two minutes of silence later, the door burst open and a tall man with a scruffy beard walked in. He wore a trench coat much like Louis's, and his hair was up in a ponytail. His brown eyes scanned the room, finally landing on Javi. He leaned against one of the bookshelves and crossed his arms. "Fancy seeing you here, huh," he said, raising an eyebrow. By his demeanor, Louis assumed this was Jesus.

"Look, I know you're pissed at me, but hear me out," Javi said, lifting his hands. "We're here because we need help."

"And who said we're helping you again?" Jesus retorted.

"I did," Maggie cut in, making the man do a double take.

"Excuse me?"

She dismissed his reaction and directed her gaze toward Louis, her eyes softening. "I want to help you, Louis, I really do," she began, leaning onto the desk. They heard Jesus scoff from beside her. "But I need you to do something for us first."

"Anything you need, just tell me," Louis exclaimed, almost jumping from his seat in excitement.

Maggie cleared her throat and began, "This morning, two of our men went out on a supply run. Pretty standard stuff: go in, take whatever they could find, get out. Unfortunately, they've missed their hourly check-ins two times already," she explained, raising one of the walkie-talkies.

"I can't risk sending more people out to get them as of right now," she lamented, closing her eyes. "But if you were to go into town and help them get back, I'd be willing to set our differences aside to help you."

Javier and Lizzie looked at each other briefly before Louis exclaimed, "We'll do it!"

"Perfect," Maggie said, clapping her hands. She cast a glance at Jesus, who frowned and looked away. Sighing, the leader of the Hilltop pursed her lips. "We're gonna need one of you to stay behind, however."

"Why?" Lizzie asked, tilting her head.

"Insurance," Jesus retorted.

The trio looked at each other, having a mental conversation. Javier sighed and stood up, the other two looking straight at them. "I'll stay here," he said, looking back at them. "Lizzie here's a better shot than me, and she'll watch your back."

The woman in question nodded decisively at Louis, offering him a smile. Louis pressed his lips together, looking down at his hands. With a strong nod, he looked up at Maggie.

"Where are we going?"


	11. Chapter 11

"How much farther do you reckon?"

Lizzie's question broke through Louis's thoughts. They were walking down the main avenue of an abandoned town a few miles from the Hilltop. Luckily, they still had Javi's car, so it had been a short ride. He looked up from the map, pursing his lips.

"We should be getting there in a couple blocks," he assured her. He stashed the map into his back pocket, looking around.

The street was deserted. Rusted cars were strewn around. A few lamp posts had been torn down, their cables wrapped around the poles. They saw corpses littering the streets, most of them mangled or mutilated in one way or another. _This must have been one of the first towns to fall,_ Louis thought ruefully, imagining the chaos that must have spread through the major cities.

As they got to a crossroads, he stopped in his tracks. He held out an arm for Lizzie to stop. He looked around, examining the storefronts. On one of the corners was a Laundromat that advertised lowered prices in the summer. Some of the other stores included clothes shops and a small supermarket. The signs on the corner read 'Lawrence Street' and 'Lincoln Avenue.'

"We're here," he announced, checking the map once again and nodding. "This was the last place Maggie heard from these guys."

"They last checked in about three hours ago," Lizzie said, her hands on her hips. "They could have gone anywhere within a forty-block radius, even with walkers blocking their way."

"Well, I don't see any walkers right now," he replied, shrugging. "I suggest we spread out and search for clues in these stores. Jesus said they were looking mainly for electrical supplies, so the Laundromat and that hardware store are our best bet."

"You take the hardware store," she suggested, offering the man a soft smile. "Holler if you need anything."

"Right back at you," he said, making his way to the store with his trusty chair leg at his side. As he pushed the door open, a little bell announced his arrival. He looked back at Lizzie, whose back was turned to him. Taking a deep breath, he ventured in.

Inside, the shelves that occupied most of the space were picked clean. Dust covered their surfaces. He deduced that no one had been here in years, let alone the last day. He paced the narrow aisles, carefully inspecting whatever anomaly his eyes could pick up.

The shelves themselves contained nothing out of the ordinary aside from the occasional splatter of dried old blood. When he got to the back office, it was pitch black. He used the flashlight provided by Maggie to shine into the room, 'Chairles' at the ready. He almost jumped when he heard a low growl to his left.

A walker was lying against a wall, both its legs trapped underneath an old-timey television. Its boney arms flailed weakly in his direction, "Poor guy must have bled out," he breathed, shaking his head solemnly.

With a well-placed swing of the chair leg, he crushed its skull and put it out of its misery. No matter how many times he did it, he never got used to the feeling. He did a quick sweep of the rest of the room, cursing under his breath when he came up empty of clues or supplies.

He slowly walked through the store once more, inspecting the shelves in search of anything he'd missed. He didn't get very far when a blood-chilling scream tore through the street and his eyes perked up. Pushing open the front door, he ran full speed in the direction of the scream. Once outside, he caught a glimpse of a couple of walkers lazily droning inside the Laundromat, and Lizzie's screams erupting from it.

He ran inside, catching the attention of one of the walkers. With a strong swing of his makeshift bat, he swatted its head clean off. In front of him, Lizzie struggled with a robust walker as another had a strong grip on her curly black hair. Her hunting knife lay on the ground next to her, out of reach.

He decided the big guy was a priority, and with running momentum, tackled it to the ground. Unsheathing his own knife, he plunged it deep into its skull. Quickly getting to his feet, he used 'Chairles' to shatter the other walker's arm, loosening its grip on Lizzie's hair. The rotting hand fell to the floor, releasing her from its deathly grasp, making her trip.

Louis disposed of the second walker with ease, breathing heavily and turning to Lizzie, who was still on the ground. "Need any help with that?" he joked, offering her a hand.

She took it and heaved herself to her feet. They both stood silent for a moment, their hearts in their mouths and breathing with difficulty. When they had composed themselves, she looked into his eyes, sighing with relief. He gave her a lopsided grin and was startled when she did the last thing he expected her to do.

She kissed him.

Too stunned to act, Louis's eyes opened wide, his hand releasing 'Chairles' onto the floor. Once he regained control of his body he swatted her hand, which was resting comfortably on his chest, away from him. He forcefully pushed her away, his mouth agape and his brow furrowed. At that moment, he looked like a deer in front of two massive headlights.

"What the fuck was that?" he exclaimed once he regained his voice.

"I'm sorry," she blurted, stepping forward. He raised an arm, stopping her advances.

"Stay back," he hissed, venom in his voice. "Do you remember why we're doing all this? Why we're going into this shithole to rescue these people for Maggie, huh?"

"I… I d–," she stuttered, searching for words that wouldn't come.

"We're here because I need to find my wife, Lizzie, and fast!" he growled, his voice dangerously low. "What even gave you the idea that I'd be okay with that?"

"I thought we… had something," she trailed off, looking down abashedly.

Louis pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. He leaned down and took his chair leg. "Look, I'm sure you're a great girl," he began, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "But I'm married, Lizzie. I love my wife very much, and nothing is gonna change that."

Lizzie scratched the back of her head, unable to meet his fiery gaze. "I'm sorry," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

He brushed past her, heaving the chair leg over his shoulder and stopping at the door. "Oh and, Lizzie?" he said, making her look up at him. "Don't ever kiss me again."

They walked silently down the avenue, looking around in search of the men they were supposed to rescue. Every now and then Lizzie would spare a fleeting glance for Louis, who kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead. His head was a jumble of thoughts, none of them pleasant.

How had he been so blind? He should have sensed something didn't add up about her. _She'd been way too cheery about this whole mission_. As they walked, he kicked some rubble on the street, looking down at the ground. Right now, he couldn't concentrate on Lizzie. He had to find these men and bring them back safely.

"You reckon they could have gone this way?" he asked Lizzie, who just huffed in response.

Rolling his eyes, he kept walking forward. His question was quickly answered when they heard multiple muffled growls coming from somewhere down the street. They shared a concerned look, their eyes widening. Louis broke into a sprint, pinpointing the source of the noise to an abandoned bar whose sign was hanging loosely.

The burst into the establishment, weapons brandished. The faint light that seeped through the door illuminated the bleak scene ahead. Most of the tables were overturned, a few of the chairs splintered beyond recognition. The bar was covered in black mold and most of the alcoholic beverages had long ago been ransacked.

A few walkers roamed around, their low grumbling making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He counted seven of them. As they hadn't noticed them yet, he and Lizzie made short work of the stragglers, working together to take out those that took an interest in them.

When they were all dead, an eerie silence fell on them. Louis and Lizzie looked around in search for any remaining walkers. When they found none, Louis deemed it completely empty.

"Anyone there?" Louis asked into the dimly lit room, raising 'Chairles' over his head. "We're not here to hurt you."

"Don't shoot, please," a weak voice replied from behind the counter. A bloody hand was raised above it. "We're unarmed."

Louis looked to his left where Lizzie stood with her rifle trained on the bar. He gestured for her to lower it and she begrudgingly did. He approached them with his arms raised.

"I'm coming to you," he said. "Are you Mike and Chris?"

He turned the corner and saw the two men sitting against the wall behind the counter. One of them, a tall blond man with a shaggy beard was kneeling beside his friend, who was clutching his stomach as if his life depended on it. _It probably did,_ Louis thought. Blood stained the man's shirt, spider webbing toward his chest.

"Yeah," the blond man said slowly. "Who are you?" he inquired with a raised eyebrow, his eyes never leaving Louis.

"Name's Louis. This is Lizzie," he gestured to the woman behind him. "Maggie sent us here to check on you. She seemed to think you might have gotten in trouble."

"And she was dead on," Lizzie commented with a bored tone, leaning on the bar.

The blond stood up, dusting himself off. "We ran into a bunch of walkers when we were trying to get in that back office. They cornered us and we got trapped."

Lizzie looked around at the now deserted bar, rotten bodies littering the floor every few feet. "Well, they're gone now. Let's go," she said sharply, clapping her hands together.

Both men shared a worried glance, pursing their lips. Chris took Mike's hand and nodded. The man on the floor straightened up with effort and lifted his bloodstained shirt up. Over his abdomen was a pulsing bite mark, a few rotten teeth still clinging to the torn skin.

"One of the fuckers got the jump on me," he explained, looking down at it. "Chris got it, but it was too late."

"I couldn't just leave him," exclaimed Chris, his brows tightly knitted.

Louis looked down at the bitten man, a tired sigh escaping him. _Does this shit ever end?_ he thought ruefully. Shifting his weight to his right side, he turned to the blond man. "What about you? Are you hurt?"

The man shook his head, running his hand through his hair.

"Just leave me and get out of here," Mike groaned, clearly in pain.

"I can't do that, man," replied Chris, his voice breaking. "I can't lose you too."

The freckled man shook his head. They were losing precious time on a lost cause. "Look, he's not gonna make it. We gotta go before more of those fuckers show up."

"I'm not leaving without–," his sentence was cut short when a gunshot rang through the bar. Lizzie stood with a handgun in her hand pointed at Mike, who now had a bullet hole on his forehead, his body falling to the floor.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" exclaimed Chris, a bewildered expression on his face as he fell to his knees beside his partner.

"We can't keep wasting time," she said matter-of-factly. "Now get up and come with us."

Louis stared at the woman with wide eyes. Although her intentions were noble, her rash decision had definitely startled him. As Lizzie made her way outside, Louis kneeled next to Chris and placed a comforting hand on the man's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, man," he whispered, taking a deep breath. "I know it's a horrible time, but you gotta come with us. After that gunshot, this place will be swarming with walkers."

"I didn't even get to say goodbye," lamented Chris, tears welling in his blue eyes.

The freckled man stood up, his hands at his hips. "Right now, you have to survive long enough to grieve him. I'll have to talk to Lizzie later."

Chris accepted his words, planting a final kiss on the top of Mike's head before standing up and following Louis outside. Lizzie walked ahead of them, her assault rifle in her hands. Louis made a point to walk beside the blond man, who kept dragging his feet with downcast eyes.

Every few feet, a walker stumbled out of their hiding spot to approach them, only to be shot down immediately by Lizzie. Louis shook his head, wondering just what the hell she was thinking. Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the spot where they'd left Javi's car.

The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, painting the sky a bright orange. Louis got in the driver seat, turning the key. Silently, the trio drove away from the walker-infested town and toward the road. Barely half an hour later, after an agonizingly quiet drive, they pulled up at the Hilltop's gate. They got out, Chris looking positively ghastly as he took in the wooden walls.

Before they approached them, Louis stopped in front of Lizzie with a stern expression. "What the fuck was that?" he whispered, attempting to keep Chris from listening in.

"Whatever do you mean?" she said, crossing her arms.

"The merciless killing of a man!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air.

"Louis, he was bitten," she stated, shrugging. "We were wasting time. And like you said, we don't have much of that."

He opened his mouth to retaliate, but came up empty. Running his hands through his dreads, he started walking the direction of the gate. He signaled the guard, who nodded and opened it up for them. Once inside, Maggie and Jesus were already rushing toward them. The woman looked at the disheveled Chris and frowned.

"Where's Mike?" she asked.

Chris looked up for the first time since leaving the town and sighed. "He was bitten," he said simply, looking at Louis for a moment. The freckled man silently pleaded that he did not divulge how it had gone down, and the blond seemed to understand. "We had to put him down," he added.

"God fucking damn it," Jesus exclaimed, kicking a tire that lay near the wall and storming off toward a tent.

Maggie sighed, watching the man leave. She turned to Chris and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry about Mike, but I'm glad you're back safely."

He nodded, turning and walking toward a group of people sitting around a fire. He took a seat and accepted a beer from a young woman. Maggie looked back at Louis, tilting her head. "Did you run into any trouble out there?" she inquired.

Louis glanced sideways at Lizzie, who frowned, and shook his head. "Nope," he reported. "Just sucks that we couldn't get to them in time."

"Well, at least you got Chris back," she consoled him. "If Mike was bitten, there was nothing you could have done."

The man nodded slowly, his mind mulling over the evening's events. Maybe there was nothing they could have done to save him, but he reckoned Mike's execution could have been handled differently. Maggie led them to the admin building, going straight for her office.

Javi was waiting inside, his hands bound in zip ties. When he laid eyes on them, he sighed in relief. "Louis, Lizzie! You're back."

"What happened to you?" Lizzie asked, eyeing the bindings. The man looked down and chuckled.

"Jesus thought it would be funny," he said by way of explanation. The other two didn't inquire further.

True to her word, Maggie used her knife to cut off the ties, sitting down behind the desk. As the other three took their seats, she leaned forward. She thanked them again for their service, getting straight to the point afterward.

"So Javi tells me your wife could have been kidnapped by the Right Arm," she began. Louis nodded. "We've had a few run-ins with these people. Ruthless motherfuckers, the lot of them. Their business is taking people from larger communities than theirs and trading them for a whole lot of supplies."

"Then we gotta give them supplies," Louis argued, slamming his hand on the desk.

"It's not that simple," she replied sadly, shaking her head. "Usually they reach out to the community the people belong to with a simple message: 'For the greater good.' At first, we didn't know what to make of it, but we've had four cases so far."

"Did you give them the supplies each time?" asked Louis, cocking his head. The other two sat silently watching the exchange. Lizzie twiddled with her fingers as Louis spoke, almost disinterred in the subject matter.

"We did, but there's the problem. Javi tells me Clem is a fighter, right?"

"Toughest woman I know," Louis said proudly, puffing out his chest.

"That's what I feared."

"What do you mean?"

"If they've captured her and are trying to find out her group's whereabouts, do you think she'd give them away?" Javi said this time, speaking up for the first time.

Louis thought about it, scratching the back of his head. _That didn't sound like the Clementine he knew._ "No, she'd tell them to fuck off."

"Exactly. And even if she did tell them she's from Richmond, I don't think Myers will believe her. She was taken way outside our usual hunting grounds."

"Myers?" Maggie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Their leader," he explained. "He used to live in Richmond. He and his people were adamant that attacking other communities, like Richmond used to do under Joan's reign, was the only way to subsist. When he tried to organize a coup, I had to kick him out."

Louis cleared his throat, sensing the subject being changed drastically. "So, do you have any idea where their base might be located?"

"We have a rough estimate, yes," she replied, opening a drawer full of papers and withdrawing a torn map from inside it. "Every time we've met with their… 'representatives', it's been around this general area," she circled a zone about 30 miles in diameter, about a day's drive from where Louis knew Richmond was located.

"That's pretty close to where Clem was taken, actually," Javi said, scratching his beard. "I reckon we could send a scouting party by tomorrow and prepare a rescue plan in the meantime."

"Sounds like a plan," Louis said, nodding. He looked up at Maggie and smiled, "Thank you so much for helping us."

She smiled back at him and nodded. "My pleasure. For what it's worth, I really hope you find your wife."

"Thank you," he replied, standing up. With a short glance at Lizzie, he looked at Javi and grinned, "Let's go find my wife."


	12. Chapter 12

_How did I get here?_

Clementine sat against the back wall of her cell, looking out the barred window. Her hands had been bound after her third attempt at punching a guard, tight zip ties digging into her skin whenever she moved so much as an inch. A spider crawled its way through the wall toward the window, spotted just before reaching the metal bars.

In a swift motion, it slithered through the bars and into the outside. Clementine scoffed. "Lucky," she muttered, looking down at her hands. Dirt was starting to gather under her fingernails. She thought about the man who'd been coming into her cell these past three days.

John Myers was a rough man, she decided. He was definitely ex-military. The only question he seemed to ask her was "Where are you from?" So far she'd given him the cold shoulder, but her meals were getting scarcer as the days went by. Today's rations had been a quarter of an apple and half a glass of water. _They're getting desperate,_ she thought.

Before she could delve further into her thoughts, she heard the creaking of the metal door ahead and a new man entered. He was tall, with short stubble covering the bottom half of his face. He wore a white lab coat over a blue button-up shirt. Clementine straightened up at the sight of him, raising an eyebrow.

"You're new," she drawled in a bored tone.

"Good observation," the man replied with a smile, taking a seat at one of the chairs.

He wrote something into a clipboard he had in his hands, his eyes never leaving the paper. Clem noticed the top of a scar protruding from his shirt. _New Frontier._ She braced herself for the usual question, already rolling her eyes.

"How old are you?" the man asked instead, making Clem do a double take. She blinked a couple of times before he repeated his question.

"I'm… 21," she said hesitantly. There was no reason to lie about that, was there?

He wrote something down on the clipboard, nodding to himself. "My colleagues have reported that you've been throwing up. Is that true?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" she snapped, rolling her eyes again. "I thought you guys only cared about where I lived, which I'm still not telling you."

"That's okay, I'm not here for that," he assured her, smiling gently. "I noticed you also refused the fruit we've been giving you."

"Again, considering the source, that's pretty obvious," she retorted. The man seemed to have found the answer he'd been looking for because he looked down at his clipboard with a chuckle. "What's so funny?"

"That's not the only reason you've been rejecting the food, is it?"

Clementine stared at the man, pursing her lips. She had a bad feeling about him. He had a nice personality, but years on the road had taught her never to trust people like that. He was actually right, unfortunately. This baby was not too fond of fruits, and she was having a hard time keeping them down. She decided to stay quiet, which the man took as a positive answer.

For a second, he looked uncomfortable. Clementine raised an eyebrow, "What is it?" she prompted, sitting up straight.

"Are you sexually active?" he asked, his voice getting lower. Clem frowned, staring at the man.

"What?" she exclaimed.

"Well, I need to know that," he said matter-of-factly. "See, you're showing signs of early pregnancy," he explained, seemingly reading it off his clipboard.

"Am I?" she asked, her hands on her stomach. What was he trying to accomplish?

"We just want to be sure," he said calmly, setting the clipboard on the chair beside him. "Wouldn't want to be treating a pregnant woman with violence now, would we?"

"I have a feeling Myers wouldn't care either way," Clem retorted, squinting. She raised her arm and showed the man a cut on her forearm. Dried blood stuck to her skin, some of it staining her sleeve.

"I'm terribly sorry about that, dear," the man said, shaking his head. "John can be a bit… overzealous sometimes."

"Crazy is a better word for it, but okay."

"Perhaps," he conceded with a small grin. "But he's the reason we have all survived this long."

Clem frowned, looking down at her bound hands. "If he's so great, why did he feel the need to take me?"

At the question, the man raised an eyebrow at Clementine, eyeing her up and down. Without a word, he stood up and walked towards the door. Before he stepped out, he dug into his lab coat and placed a small box on a nearby chair.

"I would ask you to take this test, please," he said over his shoulder. Without another word, he closed the door behind him, leaving Clementine in the dim light of morning.

Clem eyed the box from her spot on the other side of the room, pursing her lips. What would it matter to them if she was pregnant? What could they gain? She rubbed her belly gently, a habit she'd picked up after being trapped for four days.

"You'll be fine, little one," she whispered. "I promise we're getting out of here."

She thought of her boys back home. Louis would probably be fuming, searching for a way to get to her. AJ was the one she was most worried about. She was the only mother he'd known his entire life, and this would be the second time they were apart for an extended period of time. She remembered how reckless she'd been eight years ago when she thought AJ was dead.

She hoped he'd know better…

Looking out the window into the bright blue sky, she sighed. "I hope you guys are okay."

"You okay, man?" Javier asked Louis after an hour of silence from the freckled man.

"Honestly, no," he replied, looking down at his hands. Lizzie was sitting in the back again, keeping to herself. Louis had made it a point to stay as far away from her as possible the night before.

"What do you mean?" Javi inquired, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you glad we now know where Clem is?"

"I'll only be okay when we actually find her," Louis said, looking up at the sky. The sun was just beginning to come out from the east, a light yellow hue coloring the morning sky. Maggie had allowed them to stay the night to rest for the trip ahead, though Louis had done anything but resting.

After his statement, they resorted to silence for the rest of the ride to Richmond. They passed a few walkers on the road, most of them lazily droning their way to the sound of the engine. When they arrived, Javi waved his arms at the guards, who let their leader in. He parked the car in the lot with the rest, and Louis made his way to his room.

Walking in, he expected to hear AJ's laughter or Clem's soothing voice. Instead, he was greeted with an empty room. It almost seemed like it was mocking him, he thought. By this point, AJ would already be in Ericson with Violet and the rest, so he wasn't as worried about him. He wondered what Aasim and the rest of the school would make of their precarious situation.

He sat on the edge of his bed, rubbing his eyes furiously. His thoughts drifted to Lizzie's kiss back on that mission. _What the hell was she thinking?_ Had he unknowingly been leading her on? He debated with himself whether or not he should tell Clem. _Of course you should, dumbass,_ he told himself. After all, he told Clementine everything.

He lay back on the mattress. The springs creaked under his weight, releasing a small cloud of dust from beneath the bed. He took deep breaths, telling himself that Clementine was the stronger person he knew and that she'd be able to hold out for him. He had to find her. He had to. Due to his lack of rest the night before, sleep quickly overtook him. He dreamt of Clementine and the time they'd taken the day off to go to that lake near the school.

After what felt like barely two minutes, he was shaken awake by none other than Lizzie herself. She stood over his bed with a plain expression. At some point, she'd changed from the blood covered tank top into a more comfortably baggy jersey. Her face softened when he yawned and stretched his arms, looking around groggily.

"How long did I sleep?" he asked, the thought of wasting more time than necessary weighing in his mind. He noticed the sunlight seeping through the window on his right. At least it was still the same day.

"Around five hours," she said, glancing at her watch. "Javi said to come get you for the briefing. He wants to discuss the plan with you."

He looked up at her, noticing just now that she wouldn't meet his gaze. Muttering a 'thank you', he got up and brushed past her. Their recent encounter was still too fresh in his mind, and the last thing he wanted was to be near her longer than he had to. He rushed to Javier's office, where he and his nephew were already examining a map. They looked over at him and Javi nodded.

"Glad you could come."

Louis nodded, rubbing the sleep off his eyes and sitting down at the desk. On it was the map that Maggie marked for them, three pins attached to it. Javier pointed at the one farthest south, saying that was Ericson. The biggest one was Richmond, surrounded on the map by a circle of walls. On the north side of the map, circled in red ink, was a third pin representing the rough location of the Right Arm's base.

"Lizzie said you had something in mind," Louis said, the woman's name burning in his mouth. Javier looked at him for a moment and then nodded at Gabe. The young man turned and opened a locked cupboard, using a key strapped to his belt. He took something from inside and set it on the desk beside Louis. They were two bulky looking walkie-talkies.

"These are military grade walkie-talkies," Javier explained, taking one in his hand. He clicked the button on the side, and soft static emanated from it. "They can reach distances of over fifty klicks, and come with solar panels so they won't run out of batteries." He flipped a small lid and revealed three little panels for Louis to see.

"We don't normally use these for normal missions, as we never have to go outside a five-to-ten click perimeter from our walls," Gabe said, crossing his arms. "Plus, these are the only ones we have."

Javi handed one to Louis, who turned it in his hands. He looked up at the men and raised his eyebrows. "And how will this help us find Clem?"

"We can't go into this rescue mission blind, Louis," Javi said, leaning against the wall. He pointed at the marked red circle on the map. "You and I will go to this area and scout out the terrain. We'll use these to let Gabe know what we're up against, and he'll be here mapping out what we report from the ground."

"You sure you can handle that?" Louis questioned, looking at Gabe.

"Hey, I said I was sorry, man," Gabe defended himself, looking down. "I'm just trying to do right by Clem."

"Whatever," Louis muttered.

Sensing the growing tension in the air, Javi cleared his throat, bringing the argument to close. The trio then discussed the recon mission, Louis eagerly pointing out possible alternatives for every contingency. He was glad to finally be actively working on a plan to get Clem back. With no idea what they could be doing to her and his baby, he was getting more worried by the minute.

This plan would work, though. That was the reassurance he kept repeating in his head, like a mantra. After about thirty minutes, they went over the basics: Louis and Javier would take the car to the edge of the marked area, hiding it with a tarp and leaves. Though Javi didn't like the idea of leaving it unattended, they couldn't just walk to this place. As Louis had reminded him, time was of the essence.

As was decided, Gabriel would be staying behind in Richmond, jotting down whatever information Javi and Louis got from scouting out the place. It was a ten-mile wide area, with mostly plain grounds. According to Javi, none of their hunting parties had ever gone that far north, so they had no idea what to expect.

Satisfied with their progress, Javi jotted down the trails they'd take on the map. Louis kept fidgeting with his hands, looking at the map with intent eyes. He was trying to find a flaw in their planning; a weakness that would offset their plans and would lead to Clem staying there longer. He willed his brain not to think about that.

Javi placed a comforting hand on the freckled man's shoulder, his soft brown eyes searching Louis's features. "This is gonna work, Louis."

"I know it is," Louis replied, looking up at him with determination. He made an effort to keep his voice steady. "'Cause I don't know what I'm gonna do if it doesn't."


	13. Chapter 13

"You ready to go?"

Javier approached Louis, holding his bat in his right hand. He'd chosen a thick leather jacket for the occasion, along with a pair of denim jeans. Louis still wore his customary brown trench coat and green shirt. 'Chairles' was propped up against the door of the car beside him. He looked up at Javier and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm ready," he said, taking the chair leg and opening the door.

Gabe stood next to his uncle, holding the special walkie-talkies. He handed one of them to Javier, who strapped it to his belt. Around them, Richmond's inhabitants moved about their day. Two children ran past them, filling the air with squeals of joy. _Lucky kids,_ Louis thought. He saw Gabriel give his uncle a hug, requesting he come back home safely.

The older man took his seat at the driver's seat and turned on the car. While the guards at the door lifted the gate for them to pass, Gabe approached the passenger's window and extended his hand at Louis. Louis awkwardly stared at it and then back up at Gabe.

"Good luck," Gabe said, nodding. "I hope you make it."

Louis hesitantly took the offered hand, shaking it. "Thanks, man."

Without another word, Gabriel walked away toward the admin building. After a moment's thought, Louis called back to him, making him turn. "If Violet and AJ come back, tell them to wait for me in my room, okay? Please."

"Will do," Gabe promised, nodding assertively. As he went back to his station, Javi and Louis embarked on yet another road trip north. They had taken the night to rest up in preparation for today, which hadn't helped with Louis's anxiety. Clem had already been taken for four days, and he wouldn't be waiting anymore.

As the country road flew past them, Louis looked out the window at the rising sun on the horizon. He'd taken to regard the sun as a beacon of hope. To him, sunshine had always represented a brighter future, and if there was something he needed right now, it was light.

He wondered for the tenth time what they could be driving into. For all they knew, these people were holed up in a military base with no way in or out. _Positive thoughts, Louis,_ he chastised himself. He looked over to Javi, who was banging his head gently to the rhythm of the song on the radio. How they had managed to find a cassette of his favorite band, Javi didn't know.

After barely an hour and a half, Javi pulled over on the side of the road and parked it as close to the tree line as possible. Once they got out, he and Louis pulled a large green tarp over the Mustang. As per Javi's request, Louis was careful in placing the leaves and branches over the car. They stepped back, inspecting their handiwork.

"Actually, it doesn't look half bad," Javi commented, crossing his arms. From up close, one could clearly tell it was a car, Louis knew. But from afar, it could easily be confused for a thicket of bushes. The pair turned and ventured into the forest, where Javi claimed the marked area would soon start. With a short press of a button, Javi let his nephew know they were in position.

Louis and Javier walked through a small path created by nature itself, its winding edges leading them father into the woods. They encountered the odd walker every few minutes, taking care of them in a swift manner. Javi looked over to Louis, who had remained quite silent since they'd gotten on the car.

"Penny for your thoughts, Louis?" he said, smirking at him from the side.

Louis sighed, looking down at his feet. "I just have a lot on my mind," he replied, shrugging.

"Wanna talk about it?" Javi suggested, swinging his bat at yet another walker that got too close for comfort.

Louis looked at the older man for a second, mulling over his troubled thoughts. _Maybe talking about it wouldn't be the worst thing._ "What's up with Lizzie?" he asked suddenly, startling Javier.

"Uh, what do you mean?"

"You know that rescue mission we went on for Maggie?"

"Yeah."

"Well, Lizzie got the bright idea of kissing me."

"WHAT?" Javier exclaimed, halting his pace.

"That was my exact reaction, yes."

Composing himself, Javier resumed walking beside Louis. So far, they'd found nothing that resembled a base of sorts, so they kept their pace. They still had at least ten miles of ground to cover before dark. A soft breeze picked up from the north, rustling the leaves up above. There was something so peaceful yet eerie about the way the trunks swayed with the wind.

"What did you do?"

"What do you think I did?" Louis said, looking over at Javi. "I pushed her away and told her off. Do you think I was leading her on somehow?" he asked.

They neared a small, rather steep hill. Javier looked at the trees at the top, nodding. "I think we can get a better vantage point from that high ground," he said. As they began to climb, Javi voiced his thoughts. "I don't think so, though. If anything, she just got the wrong idea. Ever since her sister died, she's been pretty withdrawn. I did notice she warmed up to you awfully fast, though. I'll talk to her if you want."

"No, that's okay," Louis replied with a small grin.

The pair got to the top of the small hill, where a few large rocks were scattered. Louis climbed one of them, taking out a pair of binoculars from inside his coat. He inspected the tops of the trees, getting the occasional glimpse of what lay beneath them. He saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"How's everything out there?" Javi called to him.

"Nothing really– wait," he cut off, getting a visual on a line of smoke coming from a point near the eastern part of the perimeter. "I see something."

"What is it?"

"Smoke," he called to Javi, stepping back from the rock and handing the binoculars to him. "Two o'clock, three small pillars of it."

Javier clambered onto the rock to confirm the information, nodding to Louis. The pair set out in the direction of the smoke, trying to keep an eye on it at all times so as not to get too close to it either. Javi briefed Gabe on their position and the current information, instructing the man to be alert to map out a possible base.

They were barely walking for thirty minutes when they got their first break. About two hundred yards ahead of them stood a medium sized wall. It spanned a distance of roughly half a mile in each direction. Most of it, Louis noticed, was covered in large metal sheets welded together. Javi called for Gabe on the walkie-talkie.

"Yeah?" Gabe replied, the soft humming of static filling the air around them.

"We got a visual on the Right Arm," he announced. Fumbling in his leather jacket for the map they'd brought, he mumbled something in Spanish under his breath. He traced their steps on the map, marking with a pencil the location they had left the car in and their rough position.

"About two kilometers northeast from the car. So far, it looks like a standard wall with metal sheets, probably spanning the length of the base. We'll go round this and keep you posted if we find anything else."

"Sounds good," they heard Gabe's voice through the comms before the static whisked away.

The pair walked toward the northern side of the wall, keeping a fair distance from it. The sun was already directly above them by the time they reached the edge of the wall. As they noticed it continued northward, they decided to take a break to eat.

Javi took two sandwiches from his backpack and handed one to Louis, who bit into it fiercely. He had barely been eating lately, and it was starting to get to him. As his meal disappeared in large bites, Louis thought of his wife. How had someone as badass as Clem been taken? How had he let it happen?

Of course, he knew it wasn't his fault. He'd been playing catch with AJ at the time, but the guilt still ate away at him. Should he have come with her that day? Would things have gone differently? _Maybe…_ he thought ruefully. When he was done with his meal, he took a sip of the water bottle and stared absently at the wall. Beyond those walls was a group of people who mercilessly took people from their homes to trade for food. It made him sick.

"You think Clem's really in there?" he asked Javi, who was taking his time with his sandwich. He couldn't think of his Clementine, rotting away in a cell with no chance of getting out.

Javier swallowed before answering. "I am fairly certain she is, yes," he assured the young man. "And we're gonna get her back, Louis."

"We're so close here," Louis mused, stretching his hand in the direction of the wall, pretending to grasp it. "I wish I could just barge in there and take her back."

"That would just get you taken or worse, killed," Javi countered. He packed their things into the backpack and the two of them resumed their walk north. "Tonight, we get her back."

"I hope you're right."

They were walking for barely twenty minutes when they ran into what looked to be a ramshackle shack of sorts about five hundred meters from the Right Arm's walls. It was two stories high, topped with a crow's nest that looked to be recently built. The two men looked at each other and nodded.

"We should be able to get a good look from here, don't you think?" Louis said.

"Perhaps," Javi hesitated, looking up at the wooden structure. "Gabe, we found a small shack and we're inspecting it. If I don't check back in thirty minutes, assume the worst."

"Copy that," Gabe's voice sounded through the walkie-talkie.

As Louis took a few steps toward the shack, Javi stuck out an arm in front of the man. "Wait, what if someone's in there already?"

"Easy," Louis said with a shrug. "We kill them."

Without another word, Louis unsheathed his knife and tried the lock on the makeshift door. Fortunately for them, it was open. Once inside, Javi covered Louis's back while the latter looked around. The downstairs room was dark and grimy. It contained a wooden table flanked by two lawn chairs. On the table was a stack of cards and a small walkie-talkie.

Their footsteps creaked on the wooden floor as Louis approached the table. He took the walkie-talkie in his hands and turned it. With a flick of a switch, it was off. He looked back at Javi, placing a finger to his lips. The older man nodded, and they continued their tour of the small shack. Deeming the bottom floor devoid of anything else of importance, Louis slowly crept up the staircase, Javi standing sentry at the door. He cringed when the wooden boards creaked under his weight, but pressed on nonetheless.

After the final step, things went quiet. Spider webs covered a great portion of the dimly lit room. A door to the makeshift balcony of the crow's nest stood ajar on the other side of the staircase. Before he could inspect the outside further, he caught a flash of silver from the shadows to his left. A blade slashed at his arm, cutting through the fabric of his coat and making contact with his skin. He recoiled, his left hand putting pressure on his bloody shoulder and his right one gripping his knife.

A man stood before him, brandishing a hunting knife of his own. He looked to be a few years older than Louis, with blond hair to complement his trimmed beard. Louis noticed that he had a scorch mark protruding from beneath his shirt. Before he could inspect the young man further, the latter slashed once more. Louis recoiled backward, almost losing his balance.

Avoiding the deadly blade to his left, he lunged forward with his own knife, making contact with the blonde's forearm. They barely grunted as their small Mexican standoff began, circling each other menacingly. Louis attempted another lunge, missing the mark and causing himself to misstep. The man took the opportunity and held Louis in a tight chokehold.

"Argh!" he yelled, his right arm flailing his knife around. The man slapped the blade from his hands, pressing harder on Louis's neck.

"What you doing here, boy?" the man exclaimed. Before Louis started losing consciousness, a loud metallic thud rang through the room and Javi's bat made contact with the blonde's back. Louis found himself released from the chokehold, rubbing his neck furiously. Faced against two opponents, the man slashed at Javier first, who dove backward.

As he overshot his lunge, Louis managed a well-placed punch to his temple, followed by yet another swing of Javi's bat. As the man fell to the floor, Javi and Louis pulled him to his feet and down the stairs, shoving him onto one of the chairs. Barely conscious, the blonde attempted to grab for the walkie-talkie on the table, but Louis beat him to the punch. He smashed the device on the ground, towering over the man on the chair.

"You're not going anywhere, _boy,"_ he spat, crossing his arms.

"Look, just let me go, please," the man pleaded, fear in his eyes. "I won't say anything."

"We'll let you go if you answer some questions," Louis conceded, pacing slowly in front of the man. Javi stood to the side, his eyes trained on Louis. Something inside the freckled man had snapped, and he was looking at him with a mixture of awe and concern.

"Do you know of a woman that was taken by your group a few days ago?" Louis asked.

When the man gave no answer, Louis slammed his fists on the table, startling him. "Answer me, damn it!"

"Alright, alright," the blond said, raising his hands. "There's a woman in one of the holding cells. Myers said something about her being a part of our group before," he explained.

Louis looked to Javi in confusion and the older man shrugged. "Must mean The New Frontier," he guessed.

"That brand on her arm, right?" Louis asked. He'd seen that mark a million times. He would always trace it gently when they were lying in bed together, curious about its origin. Once she had told him the reason that brand was there, he wasn't as fond of it.

"Right."

"Alright," Louis said, nodding. He turned to the man on the chair, a scowl clouding his freckled features. "Where are they keeping her?"

"I… I…" the man stuttered, seemingly shrinking in on himself.

Scoffing, Louis took out his handgun and trained the barrel on the man's forehead. "Tell me where she is, RIGHT NOW!" Javi stepped forward, placing a hand on Louis's shoulder, but the latter shook him off.

"It's a large brown building on the western side of the compound, a few yards from the wall!" the man blabbered, his eyes trained on the gun and his features contorted in fear.

"How many guards?"

"Three. There's not much security on the holding cells." The man's voice was breaking at that point, making him sound younger than he was.

"Keys?"

"A large man with a thick beard has them at all times," he whimpered. "He's on guard tonight. Please don't kill me," he pleaded, his eyes glistening over.

Louis removed the gun from the man's forehead, taking a short step backwards. He looked at the man, a look of disgust ever present on his face. _This man may not have taken Clem, but he's an accomplice._ He cleared his throat, nodding at Javi.

"What's your name, man?" he asked.

"My – My name?"

"Yes, that word your parents called you as a kid," Louis snapped, rolling his eyes.

"Miles," he said, nodding slowly. "Miles Campbell."

"Well, Miles Campbell," said Louis, turning the gun in his hands. "For what it's worth, thank you for the information."

Without warning, he raised the handgun again and pulled the trigger. The bullet went straight through Miles's head, a large hole replacing his golden bangs. The blonde's body went stiff before falling limply on the floor. Blood oozed from the wound onto the ground, staining the wooden boards in red. Javi stood glued to the spot in shock, staring at the man's corpse.

"What the fuck was that?" he exclaimed, looking up at Louis. The latter stowed his gun inside his coat and looked over at Javi. His face was expressionless for once, tears welling in his brown eyes.

"We couldn't just let him go and warn his group," he argued, shaking his head. "I can't risk losing Clem because of a loose end," he choked, closing his eyes and wiping away the unbidden tears.

"You didn't have to kill him, though," Javi suggested, gesturing to the man on the floor. "We could have tied him up or something."

"I told you, Javi," Louis croaked, looking down at his hands. "I couldn't take that risk."


	14. Chapter 14

"You wanna talk about what happened back there?"

Javi's gentle voice broke through Louis's troubled thoughts, bringing his attention back to the former baseball player. His eyes stung from earlier, the ghost of his tears lingering on his cheeks. Javier looked at him from the corner of his eye, his brows tightly knitted.

"I'm sorry, alright?" Louis breathed, closing his eyes. Every time he did, all he could see was Miles. The image of his first human kill haunted him, and he feared he might go crazy soon.

"I'm not mad, Louis," Javi assured the man, turning left on a side-road that would lead them to Richmond. "I know why you did it. Hell, I've done worse from time to time."

"You have?" Louis asked incredulously. "I killed a man in cold blood, Javi. What the fuck's my problem?" he wondered out loud, looking down at his hands. They were shaking at that point, a fresh rush of adrenaline coursing through his body.

"Sometimes you gotta do bad shit for the sake of your loved ones," Javi argued, shrugging. "I'm not saying what you did was right, but I get that it needed to happen."

"He had helped us, though," said Louis, still arguing against himself. "He gave us the exact information we needed and more and I just shot him."

"Would you rather he went back to Myers and told him all about our little rescue plan?" Javi asked as they pulled over by the gate of Richmond. "Cause that's what was gonna happen if we'd let him go."

"I guess," Louis muttered, still looking down as they got out and made their way to the admin building.

After the incident, Javi had briefed Gabriel on the new information, reminding him they'd be back before nightfall. True to their word, the sun was barely three quarters of the way down when they arrived in the main office. Gabe sat at the desk, fiddling with his handgun. When he spotted Javi and Louis, he stood up and offered his uncle a bone-crushing hug.

"Glad you're back," he said. He shook the freckled man's hand and the three of them gathered around the map on the desk to survey the information. As promised, Gabe had outlined every piece of Intel Javi and Louis had gathered, marking key points where needed. The third pin that used to represent the Right Arm had been replaced with a rough sketch of its perimeter and the location of key buildings.

"This should be the infirmary." Javi pointed at a large rectangular structure on the west side of the compound. With a marker, he scrawled a red cross on it.

"Why's that important?" Louis asked with raised eyebrows.

"Well, if by some chance they find out Clem's pregnant, the only other place she could be is there," Javi explained. "Of course, our main objective is the holding cell," he added hastily, jabbing a finger on the target building located near the west wall.

"We can go in through this sewer system on the west side, but we have no idea where we might find a manhole cover," Gabe said, tracing the possible route the pipes could take them.

"We gotta take that chance, "Javi replied. "With some luck, we might be able to sneak in without the guards even noticing we're there."

"That is if we haven't gotten shot before we even get close to the wall," Louis piped in, crossing his arms. The two men pursed their lips, looking at him with equal looks of concern. They tried to comb the sketch in search of a solution to that problem.

When Gabe pointed out the watchtower the pair had encountered as a possible vantage point for a sniper or lookout, Louis looked down awkwardly. The other man took no notice of this as he and his uncle delved into a possible roster for their rescue party. Despite his best efforts and his years in a relationship with Clementine, Louis had never quite developed the skill of strategizing. This was noticed by Javi, who suggested he rest up in his room until they were ready to leave.

"You sure?" Louis asked, tilting his head.

"Don't worry, Gabe and I got this," he assured the man, patting him on the shoulder.

Louis nodded and thanked the two men before exiting the office and heading for his own room on the second floor. The hallways were mostly deserted due to it being almost dinner time and everyone either staying in or going to the common cafeteria.

As he walked, he thought of Clementine again. This time, however, his thoughts were more hopeful than fearful. They were finally in the home stretch, he thought. For a moment, he even forgot his questionable actions that day in favor of letting himself enjoy the feeling of elation he knew he'd feel once he laid eyes on his wife again.

His thoughts were interrupted for the second time that day when he bumped into someone. He turned to offer his apologies, freezing up when he spotted the mane of wavy black hair that belonged to Elizabeth. Tripping over his words, he opened and closed his mouth repeatedly before she helped him out.

"Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," she said to his surprise, looking down.

"It's alright," he offered, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

Lizzie chose to stay silent, tucking a strand of jet black hair behind her ear and turning on her heels. Louis watched her go in the other direction before resuming his walk towards his room. When he opened the door, he was almost knocked onto the floor by AJ's arms wrapped around his chest. Placing his hand on the boy's head, he looked up to see not only Violet but Aasim and Tenn standing by his bed.

He allowed himself to laugh as he returned AJ's hug, closing his eyes. "What are you guys doing here?"

"You didn't think we'd let you rescue Clementine all on your own, did you?" Violet inquired, punching him on the arm lightly.

Louis looked at Aasim and cocked his head. "Did Ruby give you permission to come here?" he teased with a smirk on his face.

"Shut up, dude," Aasim said, a tinge of red settling in his cheeks. Clearing his throat, he added, "Gabriel already briefed us on the situation. I think we should be able to get her nice and easy."

"I hope so," Louis said, nodding. "You're all coming, right?" he asked the group.

"Of course we are," AJ quipped joyfully, almost jumping on the balls of his feet.

Louis pursed his lips, looking down at the boy. He crossed his arms, looking at Violet for help. The blonde shrugged at him. "I don't think you should come, little dude. It's too dangerous," he said, frowning.

"What?" AJ exclaimed, glaring at his adoptive father. "Louis, Clem is trapped in there! I'm not gonna sit around in Richmond waiting for you guys to rescue her."

"But what if–," Louis began before being cut off.

"I'm going, Louis," he declared with his hands on his hips. A habit he'd picked up from Clementine, Louis knew. "I'm helping you get Clem back."

Louis sighed, shaking his head. Years on the road had forced AJ to grow up faster than any kid should have to. As he stood there, glaring daggers at him for even suggesting such an arrangement, Louis couldn't see a ten-year-old boy. He saw a young man determined to save one of the only people he'd ever loved.

"Alright," he conceded, making the smile return to AJ's face. "But no unnecessary risks, okay?"

"None," promised AJ, raising his pinky finger at Louis, who chuckled. _Maybe some things you just don't grow out of,_ he thought with a smile. He hooked the boy's finger with his own, nodding at him.

Thirty minutes later, the group had joined Javier and Gabe at the gate and was on its way to the Right Arm. The leaders of Richmond were at the front of the car with Louis and AJ in the back seat. Violet, Aasim and Tenn had taken the other. Their headlights flashed in the rearview mirror of Javi's Mustang, letting him know they were still on their tail.

The sun was beginning to set to their left, casting long shadows of the trees on the road ahead. Louis sat on the right side, staring absently at the straggling walkers on the side of the road. Twenty minutes into the trip, he'd already counted at least thirty of them. _That's almost double the amount they were this morning,_ he thought. Dismissing the thought, he looked over at AJ on his left.

The boy was fidgeting with his hands, looking down at the floor. Five years after they'd met, AJ was already gaining height on Louis. By now, his adoptive son nearly reached his chin, already as tall as Clem. Louis stroked his afro, smiling at the boy when he turned. He'd promised to take care of him the last time he'd seen Clem, and he intended to keep that promise.

About an hour of silence later, both cars pulled over on the side of a dirt road. They parked them facing the road in case they needed to make a quick getaway. The group helped in hiding the cars as best they could. They were already shrouded in the darkness of night by the time they finished. Brandishing their respective weapons, they all ventured into the woods.

"Keep your eyes peeled," Javi called from the front of the group as he smashed a walker's head in with his bat.

"He's pretty good with that thing," Aasim commented to Louis under his breath.

"Yeah, that's Javier Garcia," he replied with a smug grin.

"Garcia," repeated Aasim, scrunching up his face. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

"He played for the Cleveland Indians before all this happened," Louis exclaimed, almost loud enough for the object of their conversation to hear them.

"That's right," Aasim said, snapping his fingers. "Isn't he also the guy who got kicked out of the major leagues for betting against his own team and playing badly on purpose?"

"Technicalities," said Louis with a shrug.

Their little chat was cut short when Javier shushed them a few paces ahead of them. They all halted their walk and kneeled, forming a small semi-circle around Javi. When Louis questioned why they'd stopped, Javi just pointed.

They followed their finger and gasped when they saw what was ahead of them. Hundreds of walkers groaned and moaned their way through the forest, barely fifty feet from them. They seemed to be wandering their way northwest, only a few stragglers breaking their ranks. Over the undead's heads, they could see the top of the compound's walls, a faint glow emanating from beyond. Louis stood up with a huff and kicked the ground.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," he cursed, closing his eyes and balling his hands into fists.

"Will you keep it down?" Gabe called under his breath. "You'll bring all the muertos to us."

"We might as well do that," Louis snapped, throwing his arms in the air. "How are we supposed to get past the smelly patrol and get to my wife without getting chomped?"

Gabe stared at him, seemingly out of ideas. The rest looked at Louis with frowns on their faces. _Pity,_ he knew. He hated when people gave him that look. There was enough despair in the world for people to add onto it with their pitiful eyes. "Don't look at me, I don't know," he snapped, kicking a small tree log that lay by a large oak tree.

"You know, I think I may have an idea," Javi said, scratching his beard. He inspected the herd with sparing eyes. When he approached one of the walkers that had wandered close enough to them, he looked back at the others.

They all gave him a confused look with varying degrees of curiosity. Louis was the one who spoke up, "What did you have in mind?"

Javi grinned at the freckled man, eyeing his immaculate clothes and shaking his head. "You're not gonna like it."


	15. Chapter 15

_It's been five days,_ Clementine thought to herself as she watched the sunlight fade away into yet another cold night. Despite it being the middle of spring, these people sure knew how to make a cell drop thirty degrees come night. She shivered when another breeze blew past her, wrapping her arms around herself.

As per usual, she could hear the moans and groans of the walkers on the other side of the wall. She presumed that the cell she was being held must have been very close to the outer perimeter. Tonight, however, the sounds of the undead were unnervingly intense. She stood up, groaning as another pain shot through her stomach. Her lack of food was starting to take a toll.

She clutched her stomach, looking around for the tenth time that day. So far, she'd found no way out of her predicament on her own. The walls were sealed on all sides with thick concrete. The windows had metal bars dug deep into the window frames, and the door was too heavy for her to even push. As she pondered on other ways out, the telling creaking sound of the door opening made her jump.

Two armed guards entered the cell, brandishing large assault rifles in their hands and a handgun on their belts. Between them came John Myers, his hands held together behind his back. He eyed Clementine up and down, his eyes darting over to a pool of vomit beside one of the chairs.

"I see you're making yourself comfortable," he teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, room service here sucks," she replied with a shrug. "But other than that, I'm peachy."

Myers chuckled, smiling down at the woman. Her hunched stance only accented just how tall the man really was. He cleared his throat, straightening up his back. "Dr. Madsen tells me you refused to take that test."

Clem crossed her arms and glared at the man. Despite what her brain was telling her, there was no way she was taking out three fully armed men in her state, so she settled for stares and witty remarks. "Why does it matter if I'm pregnant or not? You'll give me special treatment?" she mocked.

The edge of Myers's mouth curled up again. He crossed his arms to match her stance, his legs bound together as if by an invisible rope. "You've got spirit, kid. I'll give you that," he said, nodding at her. "We could use someone like you in the Right Arm. A fierce, strong survivor. A damn great fighter, I hear. You gave my scouts quite a run for their money before they had to knock you out."

"Well, three against one isn't really fair," Clem pointed out, flinching when her stomach grumbled. Myers looked down, smirking.

"You getting hungry?" he asked.

She didn't dignify that with a response, instead choosing to glare at him. Rolling his eyes, Myers snapped his fingers and the two guards stepped forward. Clem backed off, preparing for a fight with raised fists.

"We're not gonna hurt you," the old man assured her. "See, there's a herd coming our way. Nothing we haven't handled, of course, but sometimes those pesky walkers manage to sneak one or two of their kind inside."

"Being so close to the wall, I don't think you'd appreciate being torn apart should that happen to occur here, right?"

The two men seized her arms from behind, getting little resistance from the woman. There was no point in fighting that, she knew. They dragged her out of the cell, giving her the first look of the outside since she'd been locked in there.

The hallway beyond was well lit with a mixture of overhead lights and small candles every few feet, with several similar cells on either side. Clementine figured a few of them were occupied from the banging on the metal doors. They walked at a brisk pace, making her trip on her feet more than once. Once they were outside, the light from the street lamps almost blinded her.

They were on a dirt path leading to a large white building a few blocks away. As opposed to Richmond's lively atmosphere, the compound she found herself in looked dull and devoid of life. A score of soldiers patrolled the street, rifles at the ready. A few houses had been erected on either side of the path. Most of their lights were off, and Clementine could see a few silhouettes through the windows.

As they walked, she looked up at the sky. Clouds were starting to cover most of it, their black hue blocking out the moonlight. Myers, who was a couple of paces ahead of them, reached the door to the white building and knocked twice on it. The doctor, who Clementine assumed was Dr. Madsen, opened the door for them with a small smile on his face as he spotted Clementine.

"Here for a checkup?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"We're leaving her with you 'til the herd passes," Myers corrected, pushing Clem forward. As a final precaution, he took a pair of cuffs from his belt and bound her hands together. "Wouldn't wanna lose her, would we?"

"We sure are hell wouldn't," Dr. Madsen said, draping an arm over Clementine's shoulders and pulling her inside. Clem flinched but kept her cool as she was dragged through the hall of what she assumed was the infirmary.

On her left, rows of beds lined the walls. Most of them were unoccupied, though a couple hosted men and women alike with amputated arms or legs. A few of them had passed out, but one of them was still weeping the loss of his right forearm, clutching the stump that had replaced it. _Real secure place you got here,_ Clementine thought to herself, rolling her eyes. She was ushered into a side door to her right. The doctor closed the door behind them.

He gestured to a bed for her to sit on. Her eyes glued to him, she followed his instructions reluctantly. She held her hands together on her lap and looked around the room. It had a few medical machines strewn around; most of them seemingly out of order. Dr. Madsen took a seat at a stool near a complicated-looking machine and grabbed his clipboard from the table beside him.

He clicked his pen and wrote something on the top of the page, looking up at her sparingly. "So, Clementine," he said.

"What do you want?" she huffed; annoyed that she still had to deal with this man.

"I take it from your reluctance to take the test that you already knew?"

She brought her hands to her abdomen, looking away. He wrote something else and nodded to himself.

"You see, I was being honest when I said we cared," he assured her, placing a hand to his heart. "We've had our fair share of pregnant ladies come by. And more often than not, they tend to want to stay with us."

"Now, why would I do such a thing?" she snapped.

"For one, we have strong walls to defend us from the outside. Guard patrol every night by trained soldiers so you'll never be threatened. Medical equipment," he checked the points off on his fingers, gesturing to the machines when he got to his third statement.

"Talk about security with those amputees outside." She jerked her thumb toward the door on the other side of the room.

Madsen chuckled, shaking his head. "Those are people we have found in our perimeter recently, most of whom had been bitten. Fortunately for them, they were mostly located in… expendable extremities."

"Right," she said, snorting. "And the ones that weren't?"

"Some couldn't be saved, unfortunately," he said somberly, pursing his lips, "but we tend to focus on the positive side. We've given them the choice to stay with us, as long as they can pull their weight. I now present that same proposition to you."

"You'll have until after this herd passes and then–."

His speech was cut off by the blaring of an alarm somewhere outside. Madsen shot up in his seat, his eyes widening. He stared at her for a moment, before clearing his throat and taking a keychain from inside his coat.

"I gotta go check what the ruckus is about," he said, trying to keep his voice from trembling and doing a horrible job of it. Clementine smirked.

"Then you better go," she said slowly, raising an eyebrow. "Wouldn't want to keep you long."

He eyed her with slanted eyes and opened the door behind him. He reminded her to not move, closing the door back up. She heard the distinctive sound of a lock clicking and rolled her eyes. _Where would I go, dumbass?_

Obviously, she wasn't going to let his words stop her. She stood up decisively, looking around. She searched the wooden cabinets on one side of the room, huffing when she could only find gauze and tape. Outside the door, she heard footsteps rushing from one side to the other. People on the outside were screaming.

"What's going on?" she asked herself as she rummaged through yet another shelf only to come up empty.

She was about to search through another when a loud clang rang in her ears. Someone – _or something_ – was banging on the door from the other side. Luckily for her, she found a tiny scalpel hidden in one of the drawers. She pointed it at the door, prepared for the worst.

Four bangs later, she heard the sound of the lock breaking. The door was ajar now. It began to be pushed open slowly, forcing her into action. Raising the scalpel, she rushed toward the door, taking hold of the first person she saw and holding the sharp object to their throats. It took her a moment to notice the scruff graying beard and the soft hazel eyes looking down at her.

"Javi?" she exclaimed, dropping the scalpel. It made a clinking sound as it fell near her feet. Javier Garcia straightened himself up, rubbing his throat with a smirk.

"That's the Clementine I remember," he said by way of introduction.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, still unsure if this was a dream. She looked down at his clothes, which were covered in blood and walker guts. The smell almost made her gag, but she kept it down. _Of course, he'd use my trick,_ she thought with a smile.

"Well, we thought we'd rescue you and then go for a bite at McDonald's," he suggested, scratching his chin pensively.

She punched him on the shoulder, smirking up at the man. It was then that she noticed Gabe standing outside the door. His clothes were equally stained, as was a good portion of his face. He offered her a small smile, looking quickly downwards. Dismissing the weird feeling she got from his stance, she looked back at Javi.

"How did you guys find me?"

"Whoever was keeping you here left the clipboard with your name on this rack." He pointed to a small shelf with Madsen's notes in it.

"I meant, how did you find where I was being held?"

"It was all Louis," he said, nodding. "He fought like hell to get to you."

"Louis is here?" she exclaimed, looking around the hallway beyond. She noticed it was empty now, the overhead lights the only company they had left.

"He and Aasim were getting into the holding cells to get you," he explained, taking the walkie-talkie from his belt and pressing the button. "Guys, we got Clem. We're on our way to you."

Static greeted them, making the pair frown. Gabe tapped Javi on the shoulder and said something in Spanish. Javi responded in his native tongue and nodded, looking back at Clem.

"We should get going," he said, taking the metal bat from his back strap. "We may have led a few walkers in with us."

"You did what?" she asked, her eyes widening.

"We needed a distraction to move around the place undetected," he replied, shrugging. "And not everything went as smooth as paper."

"More like sandpaper," Gabe piped in with a frown, showing Clem a small cut on his forehead.

Pursing her lips, Clementine followed the two men through the empty hallway. The beds on the right had been vacated, she noticed. Javi kicked the front door down, looking around when they stepped outside. A soft drizzle had started falling from the sky, dampening the soil around them. She saw dozens of walkers roaming the previously bare streets, their groans growing in volume as bullets flew in every direction.

Javier led the two of them to the side of a building, surveying the area. Clem kneeled down beside him, realizing just then that they were dangerously close to the walkers. Two smaller ones wandered close to them and Javi took out his hunting knife, taking care of them with ease. He slashed the abdomen of one of them open.

"Now you have some cover," he said.

Shuddering, Clem dug into the walker's insides, smearing the bloody intestines on her clothes. She made her best to not gag on the smell, cursing her stomach for wanting to hurl the small dinner she'd been given that day. When she was satisfied with her handiwork, she stood up and examined the area with Javi.

A few people were running through the streets, trying their best to avoid detection from the walkers. Most of the soldiers were using their ammo sparingly, presumably because they were short on it.

"You guys sure know how to make an entrance," Clem complimented.

"It's the Garcia style," Javi quipped, huffing out his chest.

Once they found a big enough opening in the swarm of walkers flooding the streets, they slowly made their way through them. They walked in a straight line, Javi at the front and Gabe holding the rear. Clementine looked around as they traipsed through the undead, maneuvering her body so none of the rogue arms reaching for them would take a hold of her hair or clothes.

In barely two minutes of, they reached the edge of a large concrete building. They took a second to check each other for bites and found nothing. Javier signaled something to Gabe and the young man flipped on his flashlight, shining in the direction of the holding cell door. He made it blink a few times in a pattern and then turned it off. After a few seconds of silence, broken only by the moans of the walkers and the intermittent gunshots of the soldiers, a flashing light replied from one of the holding cell windows. Javi nodded and the three of them made their way to the building in question.

By the door were two unconscious guards on the floor, their rifles lying over them. Clem rummaged through the pocket of one of them, smiling when her hand grazed a silver keychain. She took off her cuffs, rubbing her wrists as they fell to the ground. When they knocked, the door opened to reveal Louis standing in the doorway beyond.

His hair was matter in grime, a hair tie keeping it all in one place. His usually immaculate brown trench coat was covered in walker intestines and blood. _He's gonna be pissy for a week,_ she thought with a smile. It took her a moment to react to his presence, sucking in a deep breath as she laid eyes on his freckled features. Before she could snap out of her trance, she was picked up off the ground and spun around by Louis's strong embrace.

She buried her head in the crook of his neck, small tears forming in her eyes. He was finally here. He'd found her. When they stopped spinning, they broke apart slightly, looking into each other's eyes. Golden eyes bore into brown ones with intensity, both of them glistening over from the sheer joy the couple felt. Without hesitation, Clem brought her lips up to his, locking them in a passionate kiss. His hands ran down her back, settling on her waist and pulling her in towards him.

Her hands crept up his neck, her fingers digging into his dreads. She always loved doing that. They only broke apart when they heard someone clear their throat. The couple stepped back with ragged breathing, their chests heaving. Gabe was standing beside them, his eyes darting between them.

"Lovely reunion, but we gotta go before more muertos show up," he said, making Clem roll her eyes.

Unfortunately, his statement became true much sooner than expected. Seemingly without end, walkers kept flooding into the compound through a gap in one of the west walls. The rain poured down on them, dampening their bloodstained clothes. Javi looked at Aasim and frowned.

"Where's Violet?" he asked.

"The gunfire drew more walkers than expected," he told Javi. "She stayed back with Tenn and AJ to make sure we had a safe route back when I give her the signal," he explained, brandishing his flashlight to the older man. Javi nodded, but Clem was not pleased.

"You brought AJ?" she exclaimed, her eyes widening at Louis.

"I tried to make him stay, but he wanted to come rescue you," he defended himself, looking down at her. Despite the circumstances, he couldn't help but smile. "You raised a fierce little man."

Clem squinted at him but let his jab slide, nodding at him. _At least he's not in the thick of it,_ she thought to herself. Thunder clapped above them, bringing them back to reality.

"I think we should split up," Clem suggested, "A group this big cannot pass unnoticed in a herd."

"She's right," Gabe piped in, nodding.

"I'll go with Clem," Louis offered. Clem smiled up at her husband, placing her own hand over his. "You guys go ahead of us. We'll be right behind you."

Nodding at the couple, Javi turned to the herd. "Good luck," he said, leading Gabe and Aasim into the swarm of undead.

Louis and Clem waited a few seconds before going in themselves, huddled together to cover as little space as possible. Louis kept Clem close to him, making her take the rear. When she was pushed to the side, she glared at him, pursing her lips.

"I already lost you once," he breathed, shaking his head. "I'm not losing you again."

At a loss for words, she nodded slowly and followed him through the herd. They made their way silently through the walkers, pointing out small windows where they thinned out the most. Louis gestured to a large gap on one of the walls, claiming that was their way out. They rushed to it at a brisk pace, avoiding detection from the walkers.

Unfortunately, someone had other plans. Near the opening, something grabbed Clem's arm and yanked her to the left. She made her best effort not to yelp, whispering "Louis!" under her breath. The freckled man turned on the spot and followed her and her captor through the walkers, getting caught up when two large ones blocked his path. To her surprise, she was thrown into the mud by whoever had grabbed her. Turning around, she saw Myers standing over her, a large gash on his cheek.

She stood up weakly, the lack of food taking a toll on her. Myers cocked his gun, pointing the barrel directly at her stomach.

"You think you can just walk out of here, huh?" he barked, his voice hoarse.

Louis finally caught up to them, gasping when he spotted the old man pointing a rifle at his wife. He stepped forward, placing himself between Clementine and Myers.

"And who do we have here?" asked the old man, a smirk on his face. "A boyfriend, perhaps?"

"I'm her husband," Louis retorted, his face contorted in anger. "And we're walking out of here whether you like it or not."

"Is that so?" Myers mocked, looking around. He made a show of pointing out the small amount of windows they still had. "Well, I don't see your gun, boy. So I guess you have no choice but to stay and have a little chat with me."

"If you want to shoot her, you're gonna have to come through me!" Louis shot back, his yell almost completely covered by another thunder cracking through the skies. Lightening lit up their faces, and Louis managed to get a look at the man.

His beard was shaggy, grey hairs growing in every which direction. Blood from the gash trickled down his cheek and into his military uniform, staining green with red. His assault rifle was gripped tightly in both hands, its barrel aimed straight at Louis's chest.

Myers let out a maniacal laugh, his breath hitching and turning into a cough. Louis stood his ground, protecting Clementine to the best of his abilities. The man composed himself quickly, training his aim on Louis.

"I don't want to shoot you, boy," he growled.

"Well, I'm not letting you take my wife again," Louis snapped, stepping forward. "

Calling his bluff, Myers took the opportunity to shoot. His bullet found Louis's shoulder, making the freckled man gasp and flinch backward, clutching it with his left hand. Before Myers could finish the job, he heard a second gun cock beside him. His eyes shot up, settling on Clementine.

"Drop. The. Gun," Javi's deep voice said, venom in his words.

Reluctantly, Myers obliged. He threw the rifle onto the muddy ground, raising his arms slowly. Javier moved slowly toward it, taking it and standing beside Clementine and Louis. The woman took the opportunity to kneel beside her husband, who was still clutching the place where the bullet had gone through.

"Are you okay?" she asked, investigating the wound. Luckily for him, the bullet seemed to have gone straight through.

"I'm alright," he assured her, offering her a small smile. "Just a scratch."

"We're leaving, Myers," Javier barked at the old man, his own rifle trained on his head. "It's over!"

"So just like that, you leave us?" he barked back, his previous smile disappearing. It was replaced by an intense glare, his eyes boring into Javi. "Big Man Javier, come to destroy another community! didn't you have enough kicking us out of Richmond that you had to come seek us out?"

"You gave us no choice!" Javi yelled over the rain, raising the gun when Myers attempted to take another step. "Don't make me do this. You can still get out!"

"What's the point?" the old man growled, raising his arms and gesturing behind him. "Look at what you've done. There were families here. Children!"

Louis's eyes widened, looking up at Javier. The leader of Richmond shook his head, lowering the barrel slightly. "You've been living off other communities for years; you don't get to play the sympathy card!"

Myers raised his eyebrows, the corners of his mouth curling up. "Is this about that woman? What was her name?" he thought out loud, a mocking tone in his voice. "Kate?"

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY HER NAME!" Javi bellowed, raising the rifle again. His hands were shaking from the adrenaline coursing through his body.

"That was all on you, Ja–" He never got to finish his sentence as a bullet went through his forehead, coming out the back of his head. Javier and Louis watched with wide eyes as the man's body crumpled to the ground, turning back to see Clementine holding Javi's handgun.

They said nothing as Clem stood up and holstered the gun in her belt. She helped Louis up, smiling up at him.

"I'm sorry," she said, smiling cheekily. "I couldn't let him get away after what he did," she added bitterly, looking back at the body of the man who'd kept her prisoner.

"Don't sweat it. Actually, you beat me to it," Louis assured her with a chuckle. "I love you," he whispered, planting a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I love you too," she said, closing her eyes.

"You don't taste so good," Louis teased, scrunching up his nose and sticking out his tongue.

"Now you know how Aasim felt that day when we played Truth or Dare."

"Touché."

"I don't wanna ruin the moment or anything," Javi said, bringing their attention back to him. His breathing was still heavy and a few stray tears had welled in his eyes. "But can we get going?"

"Sorry," the couple said in unison. Clem smiled sadly at Javi, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

The trio trekked the rest of the way to the gap, making sure to avoid the walkers at all costs, the blood and guts on their clothes beginning to wash off. Javi and Clem took care of the stragglers who got too close to them with their knives, creating a path for them to follow.

Once outside, the number of walkers decreased. Clem, Javi, and Louis made their way to the tree line. When they got there, a blur of movement made its way to Clem, knocking the air out of her lungs. AJ clung to her as if his life depended on it. She returned the gesture, squeezing the boy tightly.

"I missed you," he whispered, his neck buried deep in the crook of her neck.

"Missed you too, goofball," she breathed, closing her eyes and fighting back tears. "Thanks for coming to get me," she said, nodding at the boy.

"I couldn't let them take you forever," he replied, shaking his head adamantly. She ruffled his afro playfully, earning a giggle from AJ.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Louis exclaimed from behind them. Clem turned to him rummaging through his coat, her eyebrow raised.

From inside his trench coat, he produced a worn down cap, its signature letter 'D' halfway through peeling off. A scratch adorned its right side, coupled with a splatter of blood on the left. He handed it to her, earning a beaming smile from the woman.

"Thank you," she mouthed, looking up at it for the first time in five days.

"You're not you without your hat, Clem."


	16. Chapter 16

"I missed you so much."

Louis said those words for the tenth time that day as he and Clementine lay in bed the morning after her rescue. Clementine smiled up at him, their hands intertwined. Sunrays began slithering inside their room, casting odd shadows on the walls. He bent down to kiss her hands softly, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I missed you too, Lou," she whispered. "When I saw you tonight; it was surreal. I thought I was dreaming."

"You and me both, Clem," he said chuckling. He drew small circles on her palm with his thumb, making Clementine hum softly. "I almost went crazy without you. I mean, who would laugh at my amazing jokes?" he inquired with gusto.

"Don't make me change my mind about this marriage," she teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Too late, honey," he reminded her, lifting their joined hands and flashing the ring on her finger.

"I seem to remember hearing about something called divorce," she said, scratching her chin pensively. "Maybe Javi knows something about it."

Louis squinted at her, the edges of his mouth curling upwards. "Well played, Everett."

Clem's smile at the mention of that last name always made his heart flutter. Obviously, that was not her last name, but the way she'd talked about Lee one night after she had a dream about him made it clear he was very dear to her. That night, he'd christened her Clementine Marsh-Everett.

When a small ray of light hit Louis in the face, he scrunched his nose and closed his eyes. Clem chuckled and sat up, bringing the sheets up to her chest. She looked around the room, searching for her shirt. She found it tossed near her bedside table and grabbed it, pulling it over her head. Her hat sat on the headboard of the bed. She put it on and stood up, stretching the sleep off her body.

Her hands went straight to the bump on her abdomen. Even thought she was only three months along, she could already feel the curve the baby was forming in her belly. A pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist, taking hold of her hands. She turned around and smiled down at Louis, kissing the top of his head.

"I gotta go to the infirmary, remember?" she said, resting her chin on his head. Though it was usually the other way around, she felt some comfort from being in that position. "Eleanor wants to be sure nothing's gone wrong while I was taken."

"Yeah, I know," he said, rubbing the sleep off his eyes. "You want me to come with you?"

Clem smiled despite herself, pulling away. "Of course," she said. "But you better put on a shirt," she reminded him, gesturing to his bare chest. His right shoulder was heavily bandaged, the blood having dried out hours ago. She ran her hand gently over it, her eyes softening. _He did this for me,_ she kept thinking, the phrase circling her mind every few seconds.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore," he assured her, placing a hand over hers. "Eleanor said I was lucky the bullet went straight through."

"You were," she said with a grin. She leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his wound, something Louis would usually do whenever she got hurt. "I wish you hadn't needed that luck, though. You shouldn't have stood between me and Myers."

"I would do it again a thousand times," he said with a nod. "You're the love of my life, Clem."

She smiled down at him, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. "I know," she whispered. "Now put on your shirt or we'll be late."

Louis obliged, deciding to leave his trench coat off. To his dismay, it was still not clean of guts after their escapade the night before, so he settled for a 'Guns and Roses' shirt and denim jeans. He stood up and draped an arm over Clementine's shoulders.

The couple walked into AJ's room, smiling when they noticed his sleeping form sprawled all over his queen-sized bed. His mouth was agape, a small line of drool dripping from the corner of it. He wore a smile on his face, and his eyelids moved along with his eyes.

"He's looks so peaceful," she whispered, leaning her head on Louis's shoulder. "Maybe we should let him sleep."

"Yeah, you're right," Louis said, closing the door and leading Clem out into the hallway. "He didn't sleep much while you were gone. Neither of us did."

"Well, that cell wasn't a five-star hotel room either," she reminded him, the memory of Myers's questioning stinging in her mind.

The couple made their way through the streets of Richmond, groups of children running around at the break of a new day. They walked hand in hand at a slow pace, taking in the golden hue that seemed to take over the city every morning. Louis looked over at the kids chasing each other; not a care in the world.

He hoped his child would grow up like that, without the need to worry about survival every minute of every day. In an already damaged world, their baby was a shining light that brought hope into their hearts. He was already thinking up amazing jokes he would tell his child once it came into this world. A few minutes later, they arrived at the infirmary and walked in on the swirl of patients walking around.

Two nurses were dragging a screaming man onto a bed, his hands clutching a bite mark on his right calf. Most of the people inside the large tent had their eyes trained on the struggling man, looks of horror and pity present in almost all of their faces. Louis and Clem maneuvered through the growing crowd to get to Eleanor's office at the back of the tent. It was a green door with a red cross on it that led into what they assumed used to be an old clinic.

A few shelves lined the walls on either side, their drawers overflowing with papers and files. A bed stood against the right wall, a linen sheet over it. Eleanor sat behind her desk reviewing an open file on her lap. Louis cleared his throat, making the woman raise her head with a smile.

"Clementine," she exclaimed, standing up. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"You and me both," replied Clem with a grin, offering the doctor a short hug.

"I wanted to come see you as soon as you got here but Javi said you were too exhausted."

"Yeah, resting up really helped me," Clem assured her with a nod. "But I'm here now."

Eleanor nodded and clapped her hands, gesturing to the bed. "Please take a seat and we can get started."

Clementine did as she said, sitting down on the white linen cloth. Louis leaned against one of the chairs on the other side, crossing his arms as he studied Eleanor working. The doctor took a few miscellaneous things out of a drawer and stood in front of Clem, holding a small stick. Clementine frowned at the sight of it.

"I know it sucks, but we don't have the capacity to use the equipment on you should you have lost the baby," Eleanor said with pursed lips, handing Clementine the pregnancy test. "If you still are pregnant, we'll check its heartbeat. Louis and I will wait outside," she added, ushering the young man out the door and locking it behind her.

"Shouldn't take more than a few minutes," she assured the anxious father.

Louis kept fidgeting with his hands, the very real possibility that they could have lost their child ever present in his mind. _What if they did something to her?_ he kept asking himself, his eyes darting to the door every few seconds. Eleanor noticed this, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Louis," she said. "I'm sure the baby's fine."

"But what if it's not," he suggested, his voice strangely high. "What if that Myers guy hurt her so bad she lost it or something?"

"Then we'll deal with that," she said. He knew she was trying to reassure him, but it wasn't much help at the moment. She looked down at her hands, searching for words. "How's your shoulder?" she asked, eyeing the bandaged portion of his arm.

"Much better," he informed her, lifting his arm a bit. "Should be pitching for Javi in no time."

Two minutes later, the door clicked open and Clementine stood before them, a big smile on her face. Louis's eyes lit up at the sight, a similar grin taking place on his face.

"I'm still pregnant," she announced happily, showing Eleanor the test with the two small parallel lines.

"That's great," she said, taking the stick and walking inside her office. "Now we can check for its vitals."

The couple looked at each other with raised eyebrows and followed the doctor inside again. Eleanor walked toward a machine that held a small black screen and bent down, plugging the chord into a nearby socket. The machine buzzed to life, the screen turning a shade of grey. Clementine and Louis looked at it in awe, having spent over thirteen years of their lives without seeing a single screen.

Eleanor instructed Clem to lay down on a gurney, her head resting comfortably on a large pillow. She lifted the woman's shirt up to her chest and grabbed a small plastic gadget from somewhere behind the machine. Glazing the tip of it with some kind of gel, she looked at Clem with a small smile.

"This will be cold," she warned, gesturing to the gadget. Clem noticed that it was attached to the machine by a chord.

"Alright," Clem hesitated, taking in a deep breath.

The doctor proceeded and pressed the business end of the stick to her stomach, making her flinch. _God, that's cold,_ she thought, taking Louis's hand. Her attention was taken by the screen buzzing for a moment as a display of dark spots against a bright background appeared on it. The spots seemed to be moving slowly and bumping into each other, seemingly moving around as Eleanor moved the gel-covered stick through the surface of her stomach.

Once she was satisfied, Eleanor nodded and stopped moving it upon reaching a place a few inches above Clementine's crotch. She squinted at the screen for a moment before clicking her tongue and pointing at a small clump of black spots on the bottom right side of the screen.

"There's your baby," she announced to the couple.

They leaned in close to the screen. Eleanor still held the stick to Clem's stomach, so she had to halt her approach. Beneath the doctor's finger, they spotted a small lump moving slowly.

"Wow," breathed Louis.

"It's beautiful," said Clem, tears streaking her eyes. She let them fall freely. She didn't care that they saw her.

"Oh, almost forgot," Eleanor said, snapping her fingers. She typed something into the keyboard by the screen and a loud beep was followed by a strong thumping sound. "And that's your baby's heartbeat. 165 bpm. He or she will be a fighter."

"She sure will," Louis said proudly, unable to erase the smile on his face.

"You still think it's a girl?" Clem asked, looking up at him.

"I know it is," he corrected, "Little Layla Everett."

"Everett?" asked Clementine, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah," Louis said, as if it were the most obvious thing. "Last names aren't too important anymore, so ours wouldn't really be needed. But I figured Lee was such an important part of your life, he deserves to be honored, you know?"

Clementine blinked away unbidden tears, her golden eyes sparkling. How had she ever gotten so lucky? "I love it," she whispered, pressing her forehead to his. "Thank you."

"You're more than welcome, my love."

Pressing a small button on the keyboard, Eleanor removed the stick from Clementine's abdomen. She used a small cloth to clean out the remaining gel on her skin and helped her lower her shirt. As Clem stood up, the machine chirred and a small paper slid out of a slot in its side.

Eleanor held the paper for them, revealing the picture of the small lump of black spots she had called their baby. Louis took it gingerly and placed it carefully in his back pocket. She reminded Clem to take it easy and get a lot of rest and let them be on their way. The couple thanked her and walked out of the office, heading for the street.

Once outside, Louis took the picture from his back pocket again and examined it. This was his baby. Those wavy black lines and those black spots were his baby. It felt surreal to be holding this, so he handed it to Clem. "Isn't she beautiful?"

"I still think it might be a boy," she said, smiling down at the piece of paper.

"Keep dreaming," he replied, shaking his head. They walked absently back to their room in the beat-down hotel. As they opened the door, Clem was almost knocked off her feet when AJ launched himself at her, wrapping his arms around her.

She looked down at him, patting his head. "What's the matter, goofball?"

"You guys left without me," he said with a small pout.

"Well, we wanted to let you get some rest," Louis assured the boy, kneeling to his level. "But you wanna see something cool?"

AJ's face softened at the prospect and he nodded slowly. Louis led him to the bed, where he sat down beside Clementine. AJ stood in front of them, watching them expectantly. Clem rummaged inside her pocket and produced the picture of their baby, showing it to AJ.

"What's that?" the boy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That's the baby, goofball," she said, pointing at the large clump of spots.

"Isn't it still in there?" he inquired, pointing at her belly. The couple smiled at each other, marveling at the young boy's innocence.

"Yes, but Eleanor has a special machine that can take photos of it while it's still inside," Clem explained.

AJ leaned in with slanted eyes, scanning the photo for any irregularities. His brows were furrowed, concentration overtaking his features. After a minute of intense staring, his let out a frustrated breath, stomping his foot on the hardwood floor.

"I don't see it," he huffed, looking up at Louis. "They're just spots."

"Yeah, but this lump is bigger, see?" Louis explained, pointing at it on the paper, directing AJ's gaze to it.

"Hmm," AJ hummed, pursing his lips. "I still don't see it."

"It's alright, goofball," Clem said, smiling down at him. "It took some time for me at first, too," she assured him, making him smile.

AJ's eyes lit up as an idea popped into his head. He spun on his heels and rushed to his room. Clem and Louis shared a puzzled look and shrugged. They lay back down on the bed and Clem placed her hat on the bedside table. The sun was shining on the bed through the open window, making Louis squint. He wrapped an arm over Clem's head, resting his own on her shoulder.

"So what about Amelia?" he asked, kissing the top of her head. "Amelia Everett."

"Hmm," Clementine hummed, scratching her chin. "Let's put it in the 'maybe' pile. Okay, for a boy: Luke."

"I like it," Louis said. He remembered her talking about the man who'd drowned in that lake while trying to get AJ to safety. "Luke Everett." He tasted the way the name rolled off his tongue, smiling at himself.

"Yeah, that's good," she said, looking up at the ceiling.

"What about Ruth?"

"I'm sorry, are we having an 89-year-old?" she asked incredulously, propping herself up on one elbow.

Louis looked down at her with slanted eyes, a smile tugging at his lips. They stayed silent for a few minutes, looking into each other's eyes. Her eyes drifted down his face and onto his lips, then back up. He smiled and leaned in, closing the gap between them. He hungrily sought her lips, his hands trailing up her back and into her hair. It made her shiver. His fingers tangled themselves in her curls, bringing her closer to him. She let out a soft sound, deepening the kiss. Her hand traveled down his face and onto his chest, hovering over his heart. She could feel its strong thumping. His eyes opened suddenly and he pulled away, leaving Clementine leaning into him.

"Bob!" he exclaimed.

"What?" she asked, still trying to steady her breathing.

"What about Bob for a boy?"

"Seriously?" she asked, only some of her annoyance being due to the name choice. "Please tell me you're joking."

"If you say no, then I'm kidding. If you say yes, then I'm serious."

"No," she stated, raising an eyebrow.

"Kidding it is!" he said, chuckling nervously.

She rolled her eyes, kissing the tip of his nose. _Sometimes he can be such a dork,_ she thought. With a smirk, she leaned in again, hungrily capturing his lips in hers. His right hand returned to her hair while his left hovered over the small of her back, pulling her close to his body. As he did, she rolled over him, her golden eyes darkening.

"I love you," she breathed, kissing him softly.

"I love you too, Clementine."

 _How can that be a baby?_ AJ thought for the tenth time, tilting his head. He was staring intently at the drawing he'd been preparing for Clem and Louis. He and they were in it, holding hands in the school courtyard. Tenn had taught him a few tricks over the years, and the younger boy's skills had greatly improved as time passed. In it, Clem and Louis held an uncanny resemblance to their live counterparts, with a small pink heart hovering over their joined hands.

At the top of the page was the title 'Family'. The three of them were looking to their left, where a blurry smudge of black dots stood. _Had they been pulling a prank on him?_ He fiddled with his pencil, sticking out his tongue in concentration. As much as he focused on those spots, he couldn't find the baby.

 _Maybe I should have been there when they took the photo._

He figured that was the only logical conclusion, as he was the only one who could not seem to see it. As a matter of fact, he wished he'd been there to see how Eleanor had taken the picture. Maybe then he'd be able to discern the cluster of spots from the rest of the photo. But they'd gone to the appointment without him.

It was almost as if they'd forgotten him.


	17. Chapter 17

Louis walked through the forest, the bright full moon hovering over him like a big eye in the sky. He looked around with caution, gripping the gun in his hand tightly. The hooting of owls broke the peaceful silence of the night. The branches of old trees scratched at him like bony hands, gripping his clothes.

A soft breeze picked up from somewhere on the north, making him shiver. As he heard howling from behind him, he picked up the pace, trotting over fallen branches and trunks. He could hear thunder in the distance, but one look at the sky told him no rain was forthcoming. A metal bar was sticking out of a trunk and he sidestepped it, inspecting it closely. It had specks of blood smeared on its tip, some of it fresh.

A sudden scream tore through the forest, sending nearby birds flying in every direction. His head perked up at the sound, the familiarity of it hitting a chord inside him. _Clementine!_ He willed his legs to carry him toward the scream, going as fast as he could. Roots seemed to slither through the ground to take hold of his ankles. He fell more than once on his way to a clearing, his coat nearly in shambles from all the branches he'd brushed against.

In the middle of the clearing was a large man, kneeling over a body on the ground. Louis aimed his gun at the man, his hands shaking slightly as he approached him. His feet stepped over a few branches but they didn't seem to faze the man. He cleared his throat.

"Who are you?" he said in a deep voice that didn't seem to belong to him.

The man's head perked up at the sound of Louis's voice, a raspy chuckle escaping him. He stood up and turned around, Louis's face darkening in horror as realization hit him like a truck.

In front of him stood a tall man with broad shoulders. His beard was clean-shaven, with a thick brown mustache over his lips. He wore khaki pants, a white button-up shirt and a dark brown woolen sweater over it. "Hey, Louis," he said, his voice deep and raspy.

"D – Dad?" stuttered Louis, stepping back. How was he there? He hadn't seen his father in over fourteen years.

"Been a while, huh?" his father said, a smug smirk much like Louis's plastered on his face. Only this one held none of Louis's charisma and filled his son with pure dread.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just checking the scene out," he said offhandedly, gesturing to the body behind him. It was then that Louis noticed who it was. Miles Campbell lay on the ground with a bullet hole on his forehead, his glassy eyes staring blankly at the cloudless sky. Blood had stained the ground around his head, turning the dirt a deep crimson. "Nice shooting, Tex. You might just be my son after all."

Louis stared at his father, the gun shaking in his hand. His dad chuckled at the lost expression on Louis's face. "What's that supposed to mean?" Louis snapped.

"You haven't noticed?" inquired the older man, crossing his arms. "I wasn't sure at first, but we're more alike than you think."

Louis looked away. "I'm nothing like you, dad," he spat. "I'd never hit my own child!"

"You sure about that, kiddo?" his father mocked, raising an eyebrow. "We're on the same track, you and me. All the stops are the same; you're just a few years behind. Miles here proves it."

"That's not the same! I had to kill him," Louis defended himself. "He would have blown the whole plan."

His father scoffed. "Sure you did. I thought the same at first."

"I'm nothing like you, you piece of shit," Louis bellowed, aiming the weapon at his father. The man looked down the barrel of the gun with a bored expression.

He leaned in toward Louis with a smirk. "Think again," he whispered. "You want more evidence?" he added, the lawyer in him assuming a more prominent posture.

"Evidence?"

"What about that woman? What was her name, Lizzie? You gonna keep that from your wife?"

"How do you know about-?" Louis defended himself before being cut off by his dad again.

"You're dangerous, Louis. You always were."

"That's not true!"

"Look at him!" the old man bellowed, pointing at Miles. Louis's eyes sought the body of the man he'd killed in cold blood, the life having drained from his eyes long ago. "How long until that is someone you love? How long until that's Clementine?"

As if on command, Miles's body disappeared and was replaced by something Louis had only seen in his worst nightmares. Clem lay on the ground, her amber eyes staring blankly at him. Her clothes were covered in grime and blood, large gashes covering her entire body and face. A trickle of blood oozed from the corner of her mouth.

"Why are you showing me this?" Louis gasped, bringing his hands up to his face. The gun fell to the ground with a thud.

The answer to his question came in the form of a growl. Clem's body rose slowly, her limbs stiff and her speech gone. Her golden eyes had glazed over, a milky color replacing her irises. A shudder coursed through Louis's body as he stepped back in horror. _This isn't happening,_ he told himself, though his eyes betrayed his words. His wife's corpse made its way to him, growling and extending its arms.

"No, you're not real," he said out loud as he slowly stepped back one more time. His back hit a tree, and he leaned against it anxiously. Louis looked over at his father, who had stepped to the side when Clem turned. The older man tapped his wrist impatiently, reminding him of the little time he had.

Louis sighed, closing his eyes. _Maybe he was right._ Maybe he was better off dead. He straightened up, looking the walker in the face. The same face he'd woken up to for the last five years of his life, coming to end it. When it got to him, the walker's hands gripped his shoulders tightly, knocking him backward onto the ground. Louis braced for what came next but was startled when Clem actually spoke.

" _Louis_ ," she whispered from somewhere far off. "Louis, wake up!"

When he opened his eyes, the forest around him had vanished. His father, who had stood to his right with a mocking smile on his stupid face, had vanished. He could feel a layer of sweat dampening his dreads, some of them falling over his eyes.

Clem's face was hovering over his, but this Clementine was much livelier than her counterpart, a question present in her amber eyes. He blinked a few times before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to him.

"Oh, Clem," he breathed, burying his face in the crook of her neck. She did her best to return the gesture, though his being on his back made it quite problematic. She rolled over so she was on his side, propping herself up on her elbow.

"Did you have another nightmare?" she inquired immediately, a knowing look on her face.

"Yeah," he muttered simply. His head hung low as he sat up; rubbing what little sleep he still had in his body. "It was my dad again, only this time he was there."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I actually saw him this time," Louis explained. His eyes were fixed on a small mouse scuttling its way over a beam on the ceiling. "He showed me Miles."

"Miles?" she asked, adjusting her stance.

"This guy we found when scouting out the Right Arm compound," Louis said, looking back up at Clem. She sat cross-legged on the bed, her hands tracing small circles on her swollen stomach. He noticed she'd been doing that a lot lately, almost as a personal mantra. "Javi and I interrogated him for information. And when he was done, I just shot him. Right in the head. I didn't even hesitate."

Clem pursed her lips, reaching out with her right hand to touch his shoulder. When her hand made contact with his skin, he felt that same warmth he felt every time they kissed. She was his beacon, and only she would be able to pull him out of this hole he found himself in. So he hoped, at least.

Clementine locked eyes with him, gold burning into brown. She cupped the left side of his face, tilting her own as well. "Lou…" she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know you think you're a monster. But you're not."

"How do you know that?" he exclaimed, his brows tightly knitted and his eyes drifting down to his hands. "You don't know what I was like before we found you, Clem. I was in a dark place. The moment I pulled the trigger, I felt nothing. I'm dangerous, Clem." His father's words came back to him, causing a stinging sensation in his eyes.

"Honey," she said sternly, bringing his attention back to her eyes. "I can assure you: you're a great man. You've been an amazing boyfriend and husband to me, a perfect father figure for AJ, and you'll be an even better father to this baby," she added. She took his hand and placed it on her belly, where he could already feel the swelling bump. "She's gonna look up to her dad, and she's gonna think the world of you."

"You called the baby a 'she'," exclaimed Louis, covering his mouth excitedly.

Clem rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. She hesitated for a moment but sighed. "I may be coming around to the idea of a girl, alright?" she conceded. Louis smiled at her through his dreads, blowing on them gently.

"So Ruth is back on the table?"

"It was never even in the dining room," Clem stated deadpan. Louis raised an eyebrow at her, unable to contain his smile.

He took her hands in his, kissing the back of her right one. "You're amazing, you know that?" he said.

"I know."

"Which is why I can't keep this from you," he said suddenly, startling her. She took her hands out of his grasp, eyeing him suspiciously.

"What do you mean?"

Louis drew a big breath, closing his eyes as he let it all out. "Alright," he began, nodding. "You see, to get the information of your location, we had to run a small rescue mission for the Hilltop."

"I've heard of that place," she said pensively.

"Jesus is one of the leaders," he informed her.

"Ah, that's why."

"Well, Lizzie came with me on this rescue mission," he continued. "At one point, she got trapped by two walkers and I saved her. When she tripped and I caught her, she…"

"She what?"

"She kissed me."

"She kissed you?" Clem inquired incredulously, blinking several times.

Louis raised his arms, bracing for Clem's fury. "I stopped her immediately! She said some crap about her being more suited for me, and I told her off. I swear, baby."

Clementine raised her eyebrows, the ghost of a smile on her face. If she hadn't been so angry at Lizzie, she would have laughed out loud. Instead, she placed her hand back on Louis's shoulder. "Honey, I'm not gonna kill you."

"You're not?" he asked, still unsure.

This time, Clem did laugh. "No, silly," she said, kissing his forehead. "I know you, remember? I know you'd never cheat on me; much less tell me about it!"

"I guess you're right," he conceded with a smile.

He leaned in and placed a kiss on her lips, which she happily returned. Her hand ran through his dreads, uncovering his face. She looked at him with slanted eyes. "Did you really think I was gonna kill you?"

"Well, and this I say from the bottom of my heart. You can be quite scary sometimes, honey," he informed her, receiving a playful punch on the shoulder for his troubles.

The following morning, Clem, Louis, and AJ waited at the gate for Javi. The three of them were equipped with their backpacks and a few days worth of supplies. They were making their first trip back to Ericson since they'd arrived at Richmond. AJ's special day was getting closer, after all.

"Happy early birthday, AJ," they heard Javi said from behind them, a small package in his hand. He greeted the two adults first and handed AJ his present. "Since I won't be seeing you on your actual birthday, here you go. You can't open this 'til you get to Ericson, alright?"

"Okay!" AJ said excitedly. He was turning eleven years old in a few days, and he was excited to see the others again.

"Thanks, Javi," Clem said, offering the older man a hug. She and Louis hadn't been able to procure anything for their little boy, and they'd already apologized profusely. He didn't mind, he said, but they still felt guilty.

"It was nothing," he said, waving a hand at the boy. "You guys ready to go?"

"Sure are," Louis said, draping an arm over Clementine and squeezing tightly. "It will be good seeing everyone again. Right, Clem?"

"Clem?"

They had lost the woman's attention a few seconds ago; when Clem spotted from the corner of her eye a woman with wavy black hair and striking grey eyes. She got out of Louis's embrace, walking straight for Lizzie. The expression on her face told everyone who passed her she was on a warpath, so they swerved out of her way. When she got there, Lizzie had the gall to smile at her.

Without a warning, Clementine's fist came barreling into the woman's face, a loud thumping sound erupting from it. Lizzie was knocked flat on the ground, still dazed. She was holding her throbbing temple when Clementine stood over her with her hands on her hips. Lizzie could clearly see the silhouette of Clem's baby bump against the light of the sun.

"Stay away from my husband, you bitch," Clem warned, her voice dangerously low. As Lizzie didn't dare get up, Clem made her way back to Louis and Javi, who had similar expressions of awe and admiration. As she passed them, she blew Louis a kiss and followed AJ out the gate. The boy looked at her with confusion but walked on nonetheless.

Louis and Javi shared a puzzled look for a moment before Louis nodded at the older man and followed his wife. He caught up to her quickly and slowed his pace to match hers. He wrapped his arm over Clem's shoulders and chuckled.

"I didn't expect that," he commented, looking down at her.

"Well, I'm full of surprises," she told him, a mischievous glint in her eye as she eyed him from the side. "And no one touches my Louis."

"I can't touch Louis?" AJ called from ahead of them, cocking his head to the side.

Clem and Louis shared a laugh, shaking their heads. "Of course _you_ can," Clem assured him, ruffling his growing afro. _It's getting time for a haircut,_ she thought.

The trio walked through the forest for three days, taking long breaks when nightfall came. Louis insisted to take all guard shifts, but by the third night, he was clearly not fit for the task. Clem stepped up to him, his form swiveling in the spot due to exhaustion.

"I'll take it tonight," she said. He couldn't even argue as his head fell on the makeshift pillow she placed on a trunk beside him.

The following morning, they arrived at the school. At last, AJ's birthday was upon them, and he could barely hold his excitement as they waited outside the gates of Ericson. A few minutes later, the barred gate creaked open, revealing AJ's best friend Tenn.

"Happy birthday, AJ!" he exclaimed, offering his friend a short hug. He hugged Louis and Clem as well, not missing the chance to ask about the baby.

"The baby's doing fine. Thanks for asking, Tenn," Clem said, one hand on her belly. Her movement was beginning to become restricted as she grew in size. According to Eleanor, in a few months, she would not be able to travel too far. _Who knew being pregnant was this much work,_ she thought.

Tenn led them through the empty courtyard, shushing AJ when he asked where everyone was. They walked into the admin building, where the rest of the Ericson inhabitants were waiting for them. Ruby and Aasim were at the front, big smiles on each of their faces. The boy received hugs and presents from everyone, thanking them profusely.

The music room had been turned into a small party lounge. One of the courtyard tables had been brought inside and held a few plates of deer and rabbit, with glasses of either water or some old liquor. Omar approached the boy at one point, wishing him a happy birthday. His right hand held a glass of a brown substance AJ could only assume was alcohol.

"Thanks, Omar," said AJ, offering the large man a hug.

"I'm sorry for not being able to make a cake this year," the man apologized, frowning. "We ran out of flour a few weeks ago."

"It's okay," AJ assured him, a smile on his face. The fact that they were all there for him today was enough. "I like the deer, though," he added, taking yet another helping of it from the table next to him.

"Thank you, AJ. Those have been scarce too lately," he commented. "But you're worth it, little man." He ruffled AJ's hair, leaving him to his devices.

When Omar left, AJ remembered the package he was holding in his back pocket. He took it out, examining the wrapping paper. It seemed to consist primarily of old newspapers, twisting around a small box about three inches wide and four inches long. He ripped the paper unceremoniously, opening the box immediately after.

Inside it was a small watch. It had a leather strap attached to a bronze case. Its frame was gold-plated, going around the face of it. The silver handles were a little worn around the edges, but otherwise, they worked well. AJ turned the watch in his hands, finding a phrase in a language he didn't recognize.

Prueba que estuviste aquí. Deja tu huella.

He scrunched up his nose in concentration, trying to remember having learned those words, but nothing came to mind. Maybe Louis would know. He searched the room for his adoptive father, frowning when he couldn't find him. Aasim stood a few feet away, talking to Ruby.

He tapped the man on the shoulder, making him turn and smile at the boy. "Hey Aasim, have you seen Louis?"

"Ah, I think I saw him and Clem go to their room," he said. "Clem said something about not feeling well after she tried the deer. I think Omar was a little offended, actually." He and Ruby chuckled together, leaving AJ out of the loop. He apologized to AJ once more.

AJ frowned, looking down at the watch in his hands. He pocketed it and rushed out of the music room, leaving Aasim to talk to his girlfriend. The boy marched through the halls, heading for Clem and Louis's room. When he approached it, he saw the door was ajar, a faint light escaping the crack. Before he could burst in, he heard voices coming from inside.

"You feeling a bit better?" Louis's voice drifted through the crack, stopping him in his tracks.

"I guess," Clem replied, her voice hoarse. "Unless you count throwing up your lunch 'better'."

"Not the word I'd use, but close enough," Louis said cheerfully. He always did seem to try to lighten the mood.

"What was in that deer?" Clem exclaimed.

"Don't say it too loud lest Omar comes to finish you off."

AJ dared a peek through it, seeing the room beyond. It hadn't changed much since the last time they'd been there. An acoustic guitar lay against the drawer by Clem's bed. Clem herself lay on one of the bunk beds, her right hand clinging desperately to the edge of a metal bucket. Her face was pale but she was smiling nonetheless. _Is she sick?_ AJ thought nervously.

Louis was sitting on a chair by the bed, holding her left hand with both of his own. His trench coat was draped over Clem's shivering body. Why would she be shivering in the middle of summer? Louis bent down to kiss her fingers, making her smile once more.

"This baby is taking a toll on you, huh?"

"A little," she agreed, her gag reflex making her reach for the bucket. Fortunately, nothing came out. "But she's worth it, and more."

Louis placed one of his hands on her stomach, looking at it with a face of pure adoration. "When did we get so lucky?" he whispered, drawing small circles with his thumb.

"I honestly don't know."

AJ kept looking as the couple stared at each other, their eyes seemingly sparkling. At one point, Louis snapped his fingers and turned in his seat, grabbing the guitar by the mast. He propped it up on his leg, strumming the strings softly.

"You want me to play a song to help you with your stomach ache?"

"I don't think that's how it works, but give it a try," she teased, lying back on the pillow and closing her eyes. "Just nothing country this time," she urged, getting a playful slap on the shoulder from Louis.

"You wound me."

Louis cleared his throat, strumming the strings one more time before placing his fingers along the mast. AJ had asked him to teach him to play, but unfortunately, his fingers were still a bit too small for that guitar. So he settled for the piano in the meantime. Louis began a soft melody, its notes high and heavenly.

AJ stared at the guitar as the freckled man effortlessly plucked the strings at just the right times. Clem hummed along as the melody picked up, having heard the song a thousand times. AJ had heard it a couple times, though this time Louis was playing with much more gusto than normal. As he reached the first stanza, he cleared his throat.

" _Here comes the sun_ ,"

" _Doo doo doo doo_ ," Clem hummed contently, her voice still hoarse. Her eyes remained closed as Louis continued with the song.

" _Here comes the sun and I say_

 _It's all right_."

Louis looked down at his wife, a beaming smile on his lips. Even AJ could see his brown eyes were alight with joy.

" _Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter_

 _Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here_

 _Here comes the sun_

 _Here comes the sun, and I say_

 _It's all right_."

He closed his eyes, seemingly focusing on his playing as another rather complicated bit came. AJ was not looking at him, though. His eyes were glued to his adoptive mother, humming happily as her husband serenaded her. He noticed her hands were on her belly, her thumbs drawing circles to the rhythm of the song.

" _Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces_

 _Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here_."

" _Here comes the sun_ ," the couple sang in unison, Louis's melodic voice clashing with Clem's raspy one. They didn't mind, though. " _Here comes the sun, and I say_."

Louis paused for a moment, his palm covering all six strings. He looked down at Clem, whose face had regained some of the color she once had. Almost as if they'd practiced it, they reached out for each other, holding hands in between them. He leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her lips. AJ scrunched up his nose at the sight. She let out a satisfied hum, tilting her head as she gazed into his eyes. They nodded thrice, seemingly counting down, and sang the last lyric.

" _It's all right_."


	18. Chapter 18

"Will I be able to hear the baby?"

AJ walked a few paces behind Louis and Clementine as they made their way through Richmond. The afternoon sun shone over the city in a bright yellow hue, the late summer warmth enveloping them. AJ unzipped his jacket, a small bead of sweat running down his forehead.

He checked his watch and nodded. 6 o'clock. Upon seeing his new garment, Louis had taught him to read time, something AJ had never had to do before. It had turned out, Javi said, that the inscription read: " _Prove you were here. Leave your mark_ ". It was a Garcia family heirloom, passed down from father to son at the age of eleven. Since Javi never had kids, he decided AJ should have it.

Louis, whose arm was around Clem's waist, turned his head and smiled back at the boy.

"Of course!" he said, giving AJ the thumbs up. "She can hear you too, by the way."

"She can?"

Louis nodded. "I talk to her all the time," he assured him. "You should too, so she can recognize your voice when she gets here."

"And when _is_ she getting here?" AJ inquired. The trio turned a corner at the end of the street and AJ spotted the large white tent that served as a makeshift hospital for the town. Since Clem was nearing six months in her pregnancy, Eleanor had urged her to go by her office one more time to check the baby's vitals.

"Just a few more months," Clem reminded AJ. They stepped through the door of the tent, sidestepping a nurse that rushed past them. AJ followed the couple through the aisle, his eyes darting to every patient and doctor in the premise.

"Well, it's taking a really long time," he complained, rolling his eyes. He heard Clem and Louis chuckle from ahead. They arrived at a green door at the end of the hall, a red cross painted on it. Louis knocked twice, stepping back as it opened and Eleanor poked her head through the gap.

"Oh great, you made it," she said with a smile. "I'm just finishing up with a patient and I'll see you in a moment."

"Thanks," Louis replied giddily, leaning against the wall beside the door. He looked Clem up and down, his eyes landing on her swollen stomach. "I still can't believe you're actually having my baby."

"Neither could Violet when I told her," Clem teased, raising an eyebrow at him. "I believe her exact words were 'Good luck with that.'"

He rolled his eyes. "Always such a ray of sunshine, that woman," Louis said. He leaned in, cupping her belly in his hands. "I just can't wait for us to start this chapter of our lives. An awesome Ninja Family," he commented with a grin. "Just the four of us living happily ever after."

"Four?" AJ exclaimed, his brows tightly knitted. "Who's the fourth? Is there gonna be another baby?" he inquired looking up at Clem.

She chuckled and shook her head, ruffling his hair. "You're the fourth one, goofball," she assured him.

"Oh," he muttered, looking down at his hands. "I'd… I'd like that."

Their conversation was cut short as Eleanor's door was swung open and a middle-aged man stepped out, nodding at the couple. As he left, the doctor ushered the trio inside, closing the door behind them. Clem took a seat at the gurney, AJ, and Louis at her side. Eleanor repeated the process she'd done the first time, applying the gel on the weird stick.

Clementine lifted her shirt and flinched when the cold surface touched her skin. A soft thumping sound startled AJ, and he directed his attention to a small screen on the machine the stick was hooked up to. He inspected it with interesting, never having seen one. The black screen turned grey for a second before an array of white lines appeared over a black background.

As Clem gasped at the sight, AJ leaned in, marveling at the image on the screen. The baby's head was visible on the right, a small body attached to it. There were numbers he didn't know the meaning to on the side of the screen, and the thumping was ever present.

"What's that sound?" he asked Eleanor, never taking his eyes off the baby.

"That's the baby's heartbeat," she informed him, checking the screen. "140 bmp, it's growing amazingly."

"Wasn't it 165 the last time we came?" Luis asked with raised eyebrows. "Is she getting weaker?"

Eleanor chuckled, shaking her head. "Around this time in the pregnancy, the fetal resting heart rate drops a bit. This is perfectly normal," he assured the father-to-be.

He sighed in relief, squeezing Clem's hand softly. AJ was still gazing at the screen when it buzzed and turned black. Eleanor assured him she was just turning off the machine as a whirring sound erupted from it, startling the boy. A small paper, much like the one Louis had shown him a few months back, slid out of a slot and Eleanor handed it to AJ.

He examined it, cocking his head to the side. The previously wavy lines now constituted the silhouette of a small bundle, its head on the right side and its body resting comfortably on the bottom. He noticed the thumping had also stopped. He handed Louis the picture with a smile on his face.

"I can see it!" he exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"That's great, little man," Louis said, giving AJ a high five.

Eleanor stepped up, holding a small clipboard in her hand. She cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the trio. "AJ, would you mind giving us a minute? I need to ask Clem and Louis some standard questions."

Taken aback, AJ obliged and walked through the room toward a chair on the far side of the wall. He took a seat, his feet dangling off the edge of it. He looked at the couple for a moment, both of them focused on Eleanor's questioning. Their hands were intertwined through the whole thing. He smiled at the sight, his eyes drifting down to his feet.

At some point, Eleanor took her leave, giving the couple some space. AJ waited for them to beckon him over, but no invitation was forthcoming. They were examining the new baby photo again, smiles of pure joy on both their faces. _Maybe they wanted some time._

He was absentmindedly picking at the chipped paint that coated the zip on his jacket - part of which resided in his lap - whilst his gaze drifted across the room at the couple. Clementine was lying down on the gurney at the far side while Louis sat on the edge holding her hand, and whispering softly in her ear.

Having a conversation he wasn't a part of.

Her face wrinkled up as she laughed at whatever joke he told, banishing the nerves and fears she had about their unborn child. The young boy couldn't help but smile, happy to see that Clementine's spirit had been raised. He was so used to seeing her tired and upset. It had become the norm.

He watched as she ran her hands across her stomach. AJ traced the baby bump with his eyes, his face turning dull and his smile faltering. "Not long now." He often heard her say. It's all she ever talked to him about: the baby. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't excited about the new addition to their family, but... _What was going to happen when it came?_ He already felt pushed aside. Even now, he was forgotten.

Would this baby... _take his place?_ Did Clem think it would be better than him?

It was going to be born into this world, just like him. _Why should they be any different?_ AJ had become so lost in his own head that he didn't hear Louis beckoning him over until the third time the man uttered his name. "AJ! C'mere."

The young boy pushed himself off the chair and crossed the office with curiosity.

"The baby is kicking! Do you want to feel?" Louis asked, his dark brown eyes almost swimming with tears of joy, and body bursting with unbridled excitement.

Clementine held out her hand, offering to help AJ find just the right spot. Feeling slightly pressured, but also a mixture of curiosity and wonder, he lifted his arm, edging closer. However, when the young boy was in touching distance of Clementine, he stopped and timidly backed away, distancing himself from them both.

"No thanks... Louis should go first. I'll do it some other time," he murmured, retreating out of the door before either of the adults could protest, leaving them confused. He absently walked the hall, lost in thought.

Maybe he should have felt the baby kick. He hoped Clem wasn't too disappointed. It's just... He didn't think he deserved to be the first to experience something so remarkable. Clem and Louis were pieces of a puzzle, and over time, it seemed that he didn't fit with them. He felt almost like... He didn't belong anymore.

Before he could delve further into his thoughts, he bumped into someone's back. He stood up to apologize and looked up at Gabe standing over him. The man helped AJ up, smiling down at him

"Going somewhere, buddy?" he asked, his tone cheery.

AJ raised his brow, eyeing Gabe up and down. He was wearing a haphazardly straightened shirt, a pair of tight jeans, and his gun holster on his belt. AJ searched for a reason for his being there and came up empty.

"I was, uh, going to the bathroom," he mumbled, seeing the door a few paces down the hall.

Gabe crossed his arms, nodding. "You okay, man?" he asked. "You seem a little shaken."

"I don't know," admitted AJ, shrugging. An idea popped into his head at that moment. He looked up at Gabe and tilted his head. "You had a sister, didn't you?"

Taken aback by the question, Gabe opened his mouth but no words came out. AJ stared as Gabriel blinked a few times, and mumbled something in Spanish. By the tone of it, AJ gathered it wasn't pleasant.

"I did," Gabe said bitterly, closing his eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"Did you love her?"

"Of course I did," Gabe said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We fought every now and then, but at the end of the day we loved each other."

"What about your parents?" AJ asked, unable to stop the questions from flowing. "Did they love her more than you?"

Gabe frowned at the question, seemingly racking his brain for answers. "I guess he did?" Gabe guessed, shrugging. "A new baby is always a joy for everyone in the family, except for their siblings. I remember Mari used to get the best toys when we were younger," he reminisced with a smile.

"What's this about anyway?" Gabe asked, leaning against the wall.

AJ opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by Louis's hand on his shoulder. He turned and looked up at his adoptive father, who wore a concerned expression.

"You okay, AJ?" he asked, kneeling to his level. "Something the matter?"

AJ shook his head. "Nope, I'm fine," he assured the man. "Thank you."

Louis nodded at the boy and looked up at Gabe. "Everything okay?" he asked briskly, pursing his lips.

"Just peachy," Gabe replied, shrugging.

The freckled man eyed him curiously for a moment before leading AJ back to the office. AJ looked back at Gabe before entering, the man giving him a slow wink. Clem asked the same question as Louis, and AJ gave the same answer. She looked him up and down and nodded.

"Don't run off like that, alright?" she said.

"I won't," he promised with a smirk, winking up at Louis.

The trio went back to their room in fervent conversation, discussing more possible names. Among the bunch, Louis suggested Kyla and Michael as new possibilities. Clem, unfortunately, dismissed him with a chuckle. As they got to their room, they bid AJ goodnight. Clem kneeled down and kissed him profusely on the cheek, leaving him flustered.

"Clem, get off," he complained, closing his eyes.

"Can't help it," she claimed, showering his face in kisses. "I've got this new motherly instinct now, you gotta get used to it."

He fought her off, a smile creeping in his lips despite himself. The boy gave Louis a hug and opened his door. "I love you guys," he said, shuffling his feet.

"And we love you more, goofball," Clem said, blowing him another kiss. He smiled back at her as he closed the door behind him.

Louis and Clem walked to their bed and he helped her lay down, holding an arm out to her. When she complained, he raised a hand. "No buts, I promised Eleanor you'd be extra careful," he said.

"When did she ask you this?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow. She unblocked her belt and wiggled out of her jeans, reveling in the comfort of the linen bedspread.

"About five minutes after she told you the first time," he said with a shrug. "Needless to say, she didn't trust you'd follow her advice." Clem scoffed but couldn't find it in her to deny it.

Louis took off his coat and shirt, placing them neatly on a chair beside the bed. He lay back on it, taking hold of her outstretched hand and slowly stroking her palm with his thumb. The couple looked up at the ceiling in silence, basking in each other's company. Soon, the sun had finally set, drowning them in near darkness.

As his head rested propped over his right hand, his left hand sought Clementine's stomach. Clem noticed his advances and took his hand, suppressing a giggle and guiding it in the right direction. Her belly was already taking shape. His fingers caressed it gently, making her hum contently. With some effort, she rolled toward him.

She placed her hand over his heart like she did every night. Its steady thumping soothed her. She leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "Goodnight, honey."

"Sleep well, Clem," he whispered, his eyes already droopy from exhaustion. "Just three more months, huh?"

"Won't be long now," she agreed, covering his hand with hers. She stifled a yawn. "She's gonna be amazing," Clem breathed as sleep overtook her.

After that, the weeks flew by in a haze. Their days consisted mostly of regular checkups and some mingling with the Richmond community. Clem, for one, was grateful that she didn't have to interact with Lizzie another minute.

Before she realized, two months had passed, and she and Louis were in their room getting some rest before their final trip to the school.

According to Eleanor, being almost eight months pregnant meant she wouldn't be able to travel at all soon. Her feet already hurt every day. She woke up at odd times of the night craving foods they couldn't procure and pouting when she realized it. To say the least, she was glad it was almost over. As she closed her eyes, she was plunged into darkness and thrown into yet another dream, though this one was different than the rest.

Her eyes flickered open, the sudden light from an afternoon sun momentarily blinding her. She looked around as her eyes adjusted to the brightness. A meadow extended in front of her as far as the eye could see. A small number of trees were scattered across the field, their leaves bright orange. The grass around her was oddly green, barely any of it shorter than an inch in height.

Birds chirped overhead, making her look up. They flew through a bright blue sky streaked with small white puffy clouds. The scene was almost pulled out of a drawing, she thought with a smile. A small animal brushed its fur on her ankles, and it was then that she realized she was barefoot. Her usually grime-covered jacket had been replaced with a bright orange blouse. She wore tight denim jeans, and a quick inspection of her head told her she still had her hat.

Her hands quickly drifted to her abdomen, but something was amiss. Her previously large belly was flat. She looked around frantically, as if it had somehow walked away from her.

A whistle came from somewhere behind her, and she turned. A picnic table had been set in the middle of the clearing, five plates of food on it. Sitting at the head of the table was Louis, wearing his signature trench coat. He beckoned her over, waving an arm at her. She did as he said, slowly approaching the table.

As she neared it, she spotted AJ sitting on Louis's right. He was wearing a science dog sweater and a pair of jeans. Unlike their usual state, his clothes weren't matted with dirt and grime either. _When did he grow up so much?_ she thought curiously. The boy absently plunged his fork into the steak on the plate, earning a stern look from Louis.

"You gotta wait for Clem, little dude," he chastised. AJ rolled his eyes but obeyed, setting down the fork.

It was only when Clementine arrived at the table that she saw a third person sitting on a high chair on Louis's left. She had curly brown hair going down to her shoulders, two pink bows on either side of her head. Her eyes were a deep hazel, inspecting everything on sight. The array of freckles on her cheeks put Louis's to shame, extending all the way down her collarbone and beneath her tiny yellow dress.

When she spotted Clementine walking their way, her hazel eyes lit up in excitement. She flailed her arms around, almost knocking the small cup of water Louis had placed on her high chair. "Mommy! Mommy!" she exclaimed, her small hands reaching for the woman.

Clem did a double take, blinking rapidly. _This is my daughter?_ she asked herself. Taking small steps, she approached the one-year-old and reached out with her right hand. The baby's tiny hand clamped around her index finger, filling Clementine with a surge of warmth she only felt when she was around Louis or AJ.

"Hey, honey," she whispered, unable to keep the smile from settling on her features. She looked up at Louis, who winked. "Lou."

"Now that mommy's here, we can start," he said, gesturing for Clementine to sit beside their daughter. "Bon appétit," he added, sticking his fork in his meal.

Clem looked down at her plate: steak with a side of mashed potatoes. She looked around the table at her family, smiling as Louis and AJ laughed at some joke her husband had told. Their daughter was fidgeting with some of the mashed potatoes in her hands, smearing most of it on the tray the high chair had attached to it. On AJ's other side was the fifth plate, its contents still warm.

"Who's that plate for?" she asked suddenly. Louis lifted his gaze from his food to the plate, slapping his forehead.

"Oh, shit, I almost forgot," he cursed himself, shaking his head.

A deep voice from behind Clem interrupted him, startling the woman. "Hey, sweet pea."

She swirled in her seat, gasping when she spotted a man she hadn't seen in over thirteen years. Wearing his blue shirt and denim pants, Lee stood in front of her with a fond smile and kind eyes.

"L – Lee?" she stuttered, rubbing her eyes.

"That's me," he joked, leaning down and placing a kiss on her forehead. "Thanks for waiting, by the way," he told Louis with a smirk. As he rounded the table and took a seat at the fifth chair, Clem never took her eyes off him.

Louis gave a half shrug. "Sorry sir, AJ was hungry," he excused himself.

"You were too," AJ exclaimed, slapping Louis on the shoulder. Lee chuckled at the exchange, shaking his head. He dug into his meal, seemingly enjoying it profusely.

As the family ate their meal, Clem just stared at Lee. There was something off about him, she noticed, though she couldn't quite place it. Her mind raced a thousand miles a second, trying to pinpoint her concern. At some point, he looked up at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Everything alright, sweet pea?" he asked, and it clicked. She looked up at the man with sad eyes, her brows tightly knitted.

Clem pursed her lips. "I wish you were here," she said simply. The man frowned at her and blinked twice.

"What are you talking about? I'm here," he said.

"I mean, I wish you were alive," she replied. His face turned somber, a knowing look passing through his features. At that moment, it was as though time had stopped. The birds had stopped chirping. AJ and Louis sat motionless, their meals getting colder by the second. And her daughter stared blankly at Lee, her hazel eyes still alight with the joy of infancy.

He looked at the baby for a moment, a smile passing through his lips despite himself. "She's very cute," he complimented, glancing at Clem. "What's her name?"

"We haven't decided on one yet," Clem answered, shrugging. "I like Daina, though," she added, pushing a strand of curls from her daughter's face.

"Great name," Lee said, nodding. They sat in silence for a moment, looking down at the table. "It's been a while," he said after a while.

"It has," she agreed, nodding.

"I never imagined you as a mother, but seeing what you've done for Alvin Junior here, I'm sure you'll do a great job."

"It's been hard without you," she admitted, looking up into his eyes.

"I can't imagine what you've been through, Clementine." He stood up suddenly, round the table and placing a hand on her shoulder. She turned to him, tears welling in her amber eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but her voice was gone.

Her arms immediately wrapped around his waist, tears flowing down her cheeks. He draped his arms over her, resting his chin on her head. "It's alright, sweet pea."

"I'm scared, Lee," she whimpered, her eyes closed tight.

"You don't have to be scared, Clem," he assured her. She felt his embrace soften and looked up at him. He was fading away, his smile ever present on his face. "Just be yourself. You'll be just fine."

She hugged Lee tighter, her grasp on his shirt loosening as he disappeared into thin air. Her breathing became hitched as she sobbed into the air. The bright blue sky seemed to be mocking her emotions as birds started singing again. Her eyes were still shut as a wave of wind blew past her, startling her.

Suddenly, she was plunged back into darkness. For a second, she couldn't find her bearings, floating through a void. Without warning, she felt her back hit something soft and she was lying back on her bed. Her breathing was ragged and small beads of sweat running down her forehead.

Clem sat up in her bed, leaning against the headboard. She rubbed her face, closing her eyes tightly. That was the first time she'd dreamed about Lee in some time. Beside her, Louis was gently snoring, his mouth agape as he dreamt. His eyelids moved as his eyes darted from side to side.

She smiled at him, running her hand over his forehead and brushing a few dreadlocks off it. The moonlight was still shining through the windows, casting odd shadows on their bedside tables. Getting up with some effort, she slipped on a pair of sweatpants and walked toward her door, slowly closing it behind her as she stepped out into the hallway.

The hallway beyond was deserted, a soft breeze blowing past her. Slowly, she walked through it, her mind full of troubled thoughts. When she turned a corner, she was startled to see a figured hunched over the top steps of the staircase. She couldn't make out who it was, so she approached them warily. When she placed her hand on their shoulder, they turned to her and grinned.

"Didn't expect any company this time of night."


	19. Chapter 19

"Didn't expect any company this time of night."

Gabe turned to Clementine with a lopsided grin. In his right hand, he held a beer bottle, half its contents gone. She returned the gesture, leaning against the frame of the hallway. He was wearing a large white t-shirt, a pair of blue leggings and, surprisingly, fluffy slippers. She eyed them for a moment, a grin on her face.

"Nice slippers," she teased, nodding to them. He looked down at them and blushed, looking down.

"For your information, they're extremely comfortable," he defended himself, puffing out his chest.

Placing a hand beneath her belly, she slowly lowered herself to his level, sitting beside him. Her face was half covered in shadow, the only light source being the moonlight that seeped faintly through a window to their right. She gave him a side glance and shrugged.

"I know," she agreed, nodding. "Louis has a pair just like that. I've been stealing them from him for years now."

At the mention of Louis's name, Gabe's face became hard. He frowned slightly and his grip on the beer bottle tightened. She noticed it but didn't mention anything. As she let her mind wander away, her hands ran over her belly slowly. _So close now,_ she thought.

A soft breeze had blown through the open window, and she pulled her oversized shirt closer to her body, shivering slightly. Her thoughts were cut short when she heard Gabe clear his throat from beside her. She turned to him, an eyebrow raised.

"I'm sorry, Clem," she heard him say.

"What?"

"I'm sorry I was the reason you were kidnapped," he repeated, setting the bottle on the floor next to him. "I spewed that shit about my feelings and you stormed off. Next thing I knew, you were gone."

Clem weighed his words carefully, looking down at the bottle on the floor. She had half a mind to let him have it and stay silent, but then something happened. She felt the baby kick, moving around in her belly as it shifted its position. Smiling, she looked back at Gabe.

"Gabe, you couldn't have known that was gonna happen," she said. "I was dumb and got myself cornered. You had nothing to do with that."

"Still, I was an ass," he admitted, shrugging, defeated. "It's just, when I saw you that day seven months ago, all those stupid teenage feelings came rushing back. Guess I couldn't turn them off so easily."

"Well, for what it's worth, thank you for your apology." She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, receiving a sad smile from the man. They sat there, the silence only broken by the buzzing of crickets outside the window.

She thought of Lee in her dream, his wise words swirling in her mind. Sometimes she forgot how much she missed the man. Fourteen years had seemingly passed in the blink of an eye, and she wondered if it would feel the same way with her child. Her mom had always talked about how fast she would grow, pinching her cheeks with an affection only a mother could muster, but she never took it seriously.

She felt as if she had gotten married yesterday, walking down the makeshift aisle of the courtyard into yet another chapter of her life. Now, eight months later, she was about to give birth to their child, their adoptive son sleeping soundly in the adjoining room. Gabe cleared his throat once more, and she looked over at him.

"I've been meaning to ask," he began, scratching the back of his neck. "What was that deal with Lizzie? I've asked, but she won't give me a straight answer."

"She tried to break Louis and me up," she said simply. Gabe's eyes opened wide, his cheeks flustered. "And let's just say, I'm not as forgiving as my husband."

"I can respect that," he said with a nervous chuckle. He stayed silent for a while, searching for words as Clem tried to get the image of Lizzie out of her head. "I still hope we can be friends, though," he added, his eyes downcast.

She raised an eyebrow, her mind going to that boy she'd met nine years earlier. She would be lying if she said she hadn't had feelings for him back then. He had been the first person her age she'd been able to interact freely with. She also liked how he sparked jealousy in her husband every time they were in the same room, let alone holding a conversation.

"I can do that," she said, extending a hand to him, which he graciously took.

Clementine suppressed a yawn for the third time and placed her hands on the floor. She pushed herself off it, groaning with the effort of lifting the extra weight. She excused herself, claiming sleep would take her any minute now. Gabriel got up as well, knocking over the empty beer bottle in the process.

"Good night, Clem," he said, awkwardly shuffling his feet. She rolled her eyes and leaned in, embracing the man. The swollen stomach between them made the process rather uncomfortable and the pair broke up after a few seconds.

"See you around," she said, turning on her heels and walking back to her room. Gabe stared after her, sighing dejectedly.

A few minutes later, Clem sneakily slipped into bed next to Louis. The moonlight shone on his face like a beacon, accenting his freckled features. She leaned on her elbow, admiring him silently. Over the years, she had attempted to count the freckles on his face, always losing track when more important thought came into her mind.

 _Hopefully, our child will get his freckles,_ she thought to herself. Leaning in, she placed a soft kiss on his forehead, smiling as the corners of his mouth curled upwards. She lay back on the pillow, placing her left hand on his chest again. The soft thumping of his heart lulled her back to sleep, darkness overtaking her once more.

The next morning, Clem, AJ, and Louis stood at the gate waiting for Javi. The morning sun was barely over the buildings, bathing the city in a bright orange hue. A few people milled about on the streets, most of them never sparing a second glance for the trio at the gate. Clem was adjusting Louis's backpack as Javi greeted them.

"Sorry I took so long, Lizzie wanted to go over the defense plan for the month," he apologized, shaking Louis's hand. Louis noticed Clem scoffing at the mention of the Head of Security, chuckling himself.

"It's all right," he replied, nodding at the older man. "We were just waking ourselves up for the trip."

"You sure you don't want me to come with?" Javi said, his eyes darting to Clem's swollen belly. She gave him one of her signature glares and crossed her arms.

"It's just a two-day trip, Javi," she argued, rolling her eyes. "I think my baby and I can handle that."

"Are you talking about me again?" Louis inquired with a smirk, earning a punch from Clementine. As he rubbed his shoulder, Javi chuckled and offered Clem a hug.

"Well, I hope you guys have a safe trip," Javi said. "I'll see you in a week."

"Thanks, Javi," Louis said. The trio said their final goodbyes and walked out the gate, AJ waving a hand at Javier. They ventured into the wild, their weapons poised at the ready in case any danger befell them.

As it turned out, the only danger that threatened their two-day trip were a few walkers that strayed too close to them. The following night, they arrived at the school. Clem's feet were hurting badly, and her back was about to give out. After her tenth complaint, Louis held her hand and led her closer to the gate, calling out for the others inside.

"We'll be in bed soon enough," Louis promised his wife, smiling at Violet as the blonde opened the gate and embraced Clementine.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked, her eyes darting to Louis.

"Clem wanted to see y'all before the baby came," Louis explained. The group walked inside, Clem leaning on Louis.

The courtyard was deserted except for Omar standing by his stove, taking small sips of his wooden spoon. He gave the trio a wave, receiving one in return. The sun was setting behind the admin building, casting a long shadow on the courtyard itself.

"Eleanor said I wouldn't be able to travel in a few weeks," Clem said. "And after the baby's born, I'll be too exhausted to walk this far anyway."

"Well, I'm glad you guys came," Violet said, an uncharacteristic smile on her face.

As they walked into the dorm rooms, they bumped into Minnie. Her blue eyes lit up at the sight of the couple, and she hugged Louis first. Louis returned the embrace, letting go of Clem's hand. The redhead was wearing Vi's old sweatshirt over a white tank top. Her jeans, much like Louis's, were ripped.

"Staying for good this time?" she asked as they broke apart. "Vi and I were betting on when Louis would come running back without you guys."

"Hey!" Louis complained, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding."

"We're staying for a few days," Clem told her, the redhead towering over her, much like Louis did.

Minnie bent down and placed her hands on Clem's belly, her smile warming the pregnant woman's heart. The redhead ran her hands over the bump, jumping back when the baby kicked back. She looked up at Clem, her eyes wide.

"Does that mean he likes me?"

" _She_ will love her aunt Minerva," Louis corrected her. "Especially if she sings to her."

"Don't you already do that all the time?" Violet teased, crossing her arms. "I doubt this kid will have such a threshold for pain."

"Hey, I happen to be a great singer," Louis claimed, jabbing a thumb on his chest.

"He really is," Clem told the couple, planting a kiss on the man's cheek. From beside them, AJ rolled his eyes, his arms crossed. He asked when dinner would be ready, and Minnie shrugged.

"Dunno. We're having the same old tonight, so no welcome feast for you guys, I'm afraid," she said, taking Vi's hand. "If you'll excuse us, I need Violet for something."

With that, the couple bounded off toward the courtyard, closing the door to the dorms behind them. AJ walked towards his room in search of Tenn without a second glance back at Clem and Louis, leaving them to their devices. The couple walked to their room hand in hand, moonlight starting to creep in through the open windows.

When they got there, Louis opened the door and bowed dramatically at her, earning a giggle from Clem. Louis's guitar was still sitting against the dresser from last time, gathering dust. He walked up to it, blowing on it and plucking at the strings slowly.

Clem took a seat at their bed, heaving a sigh as she removed her heavy boots and massaged her feet. She had read somewhere that pregnant women's feet usually swelled, and her boots suddenly felt two sizes too small.

"Aw man, it took me ages to tune it last time," she heard Louis complain. He sat down beside her, plucking the lowest string and adjusting the tuner slightly. When he was satisfied, he repeated the process on the next string.

"What do you think was up with AJ today?" Clem asked suddenly, gazing at one of the fake plants on the dresser. Its yellow petals were a little worn after five years there, and the vase had been taped up a number of times.

"Dunno," Louis said, shrugging. "But I'm guessing he was just excited to see Tenn. The kid's had no one but us for a few months."

"Well, he had me for five years before we met you guys," Clem argued.

"Perhaps, but now he's used to this. Let him have his fun with his best friend. He'll be back in your arms in no time, anyway."

Clem nodded and smiled as Louis kept tuning the guitar, cursing himself when he couldn't get the tone _just right._ A few minutes later, Minnie dropped by to announce dinner was ready, and they followed her. Omar and the rest greeted the parents-to-be with bowls of hot rabbit stew and a side of roasted potatoes. Clem noticed AJ wasn't there, and when she asked Tenn, he claimed his friend wasn't hungry. Frowning, she looked over at the dorms and sighed. Maybe it would be good to give him some space, she thought. Dejectedly, she turned to her food and took the first bite, grateful that the baby didn't reject it immediately.

They enjoyed their meal, exchanging stories with the rest. Apparently, Aasim had recently proposed to Ruby, which surprised both Clem and Louis. The couple congratulated the leaders. Louis patted Aasim on the shoulder.

"Finally tied the knot, huh?" he teased, raising an eyebrow. "Never took you for a romantic."

"Neither did I," Ruby commented, pinching Aasim's cheek and making him blush. "But he really pulled out all the stops."

Louis took his glass, raising it above his head. Everyone followed his lead and he cleared his throat.

"This deserves a toast," he began, smiling at the couple. "Aasim, Ruby. You guys have kept us going for so long now, and I think I speak for all of us when I say you deserve the world in return, and then some. And here's my early wedding gift for you guys: Since you performed our wedding, I feel it's only fitting I perform yours."

Before they could reject the offer, he thrust his glass inward and chuckled. "To Ruby and Aasim!"

"To Ruby and Aasim!" the others chanted, downing the contents of their glasses.

The celebrations went on for a while, after which Clementine and Louis retired to their room. Judging by the faint sunlight on the horizon, Louis figured they'd stayed up quite late. They sat on the bed, their hands still intertwined. He kissed her hand softly, smiling up at her when she blushed.

"Are you ever gonna stop blushing when I do that?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"You ever gonna stop doing it?"

"Nope."

"Then no, I won't ever stop," she said, placing a kiss on his nose. "Ready for bed?" she asked, lying back on the bed.

He followed her lead but leaned on his elbow, looking down at her. "I was actually thinking. Since this might be one of the last nights we'll have to ourselves," he said, looking down at her swollen stomach with a lopsided grin. "We should have a little fun."

Before she could ask what he had in mind, he fumbled in his coat for his deck of cards and showcased it for her.

"Truth or Dare."

"Hmm, sounds like fun," Clem said, sitting back up. She groaned when the baby kicked again, playing with her bladder like it was a squeeze toy.

He handed her half the deck and they both drew one. Clem smugly showed him a jack of hearts, but Louis presented a king of diamonds.

"Don't count your chickens before they fly," he teased.

"You know that's not how the saying goes, right?"

"Regardless, you lost."

"Fine, I'll go with truth for now."

"Wuss," he teased. Louis thought for a moment, scratching his chin dramatically. "Ever thought we'd be in this situation?" he asked, his hand tracing small circles on her belly.

She thought about it, looking down at his fingers. Truthfully, she couldn't say she hadn't dreamt about it a few times in the five years they'd been together. Granted, her daydreams didn't include nearly as many walkers roaming the earth.

"Yeah, I think so," she said, nodding. "I think I started thinking about it about two years ago, but I never thought it would be under these circumstances."

"That's fair," he conceded. They drew cards again, and this time, Louis was the loser. "Ask away."

Clem thought of a question that had been plaguing her mind for the past months, having heard Louis gush relentlessly about the mere thought of having a child. "After all these years," she whispered, pressing her forehead to his. "Do you have any regrets?"

Louis chuckled, shaking his head vehemently. "Not a single one, my dearest," he said in a sing-song voice, leaning in and kissing her on the lips. "Why would you even ask that?"

She shrugged. "No reason," she said. One more time, they drew their cards. Clem groaned when she saw her two of spades being trumped by Louis's nine of clubs.

"Let's go with a dare," she said with a grin.

"Hmm, alright." He looked down at her, and then at her belly. "I dare you to have twins!"

"Louis, I can't control that," she argued, frowning.

"I know, but imagine how cool it would be to have two."

"I think AJ and this baby will be more than enough for now, thank you very much," she said. "Alright, one more and-"

She was cut short when Tenn burst through the door, startling Clem and Louis. The couple sat up abruptly, Clem almost hitting her head on the bottom of the top bed.

"Knocking is nice too, Tenn, you know?" Louis complained, rubbing his head. He hadn't been so lucky.

"Have you guys seen AJ?" he asked frantically, his eyes darting through the room in search of his friend.

"No, I thought he was with you," Clem said, a look of concern on her face. Her hands went straight to her stomach protectively, caressing it softly.

"I think," Tenn began, struggling to find words. He looked up into Clem's eyes, a look of despair on his face. "I think AJ's gone."


	20. Chapter 20

"What do you mean, AJ's gone?" Clementine exclaimed, frantically getting to her feet as fast as her swollen belly would allow. Louis stood with her, his hand on her lower back for support. Tenn shuffled his feet awkwardly. The rising sun shone on the wood floor, dust particles floating in midair.

"Before dinner, he said he wasn't hungry, so I let him use my coloring pencils," Tenn explained, stepping back when he saw the fire in Clem's eyes light up. "When I came back, he was gone, so I figured he'd come here instead."

"And you didn't think to come check?" Clem asked, throwing her arms up in the air. She felt the baby kick wildly, her anger masking the pain she was feeling.

"I didn't think he'd run away," Tenn defended himself, though his eyes were downcast in shame.

Louis stepped in between them, eyeing Clem warily. "Let's just cool off for a moment," he said. "I'll go ask Violet and Aasim to help me find him. He couldn't have gone far. You should stay here and rest." He directed that last part to Clem, who scoffed.

"Like hell I'm resting," she exclaimed, already making her way to the door before she was stopped by Louis.

"Honey, Eleanor already said you need to take it easy," he argued. "And I'm worried of what'll happen to the baby if you go traipsing through the woods with no direction when you can barely move without hurting. Let us handle it, and I promise you AJ will be back home in no time."

She huffed in annoyance but agreed nonetheless. There was no reason for her to put herself in danger, not now of all times. Reluctantly, she nodded and followed Louis and Tenn out of their room. The trio rushed through the halls as fast as Clem could. On the way, they ran into Willy and Ruby, both of whom were frantically searching some of the dorms.

"He's not here," Ruby called to Tenn, who shook his head.

"I think he may have gone outside," he said. Louis burst through the courtyard doors, holding them open for Clem to waddle through. Her hands drew circles on her belly, as a way to calm herself down. _He's fine, Clementine,_ she kept telling herself, repeating it in her brain like a mantra.

Louis rushed to where Violet and Aasim sat on the tables. At the sight of him, both of them stood up and rushed to him. Violet held her meat cleaver in one hand, the compound bow strapped to her back.

"Tenn told us what happened," Violet said immediately.

"We're coming with you," Aasim piped in, nodding at Louis.

Louis smiled at his friends, looking down at Clem. She was caressing her belly fiercely, her eyes darting to the gate every few seconds. With the promise to bring AJ back, he leaned in and placed a kiss on his wife's lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to him.

"Please," she pleaded, tears in her eyes. _Damn hormones,_ she thought ruefully. "Come back safe."

"I will," he said, nodding. "I promise. You stay here and let Ruby know if you need anything."

With that, the trio made their way to the gate, where Willy was waiting for them. He opened it and wished them good luck before they were stopped once again by Minnie rushing at Violet. She wrapped her arms around her girlfriend gently, pulling back and placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"Good luck," she whispered to Violet, who couldn't hide her blush from creeping up her face.

Glaring at Louis and Aasim when they smirked, she pushed past them and walked into the woods, the two men at her heels. Louis brandished 'Chairles', its wooden surface resting on his right shoulder. Birds were singing the beginning of a new day. Dried up leaves crunched under the weight of his boots as he walked through the forest.

About twenty minutes later, after not seeing any trace of the boy, they decided that splitting up was their best bet. Aasim went off toward the east, Violet bounding to the west. Louis took a deep breath as he ventured deeper into the southern part of the woods.

He could hear the faint grumbling of distant walkers prowling for prey. Shuddering slightly, he walked forward, looking around. Although he'd seen them a thousand times over, the woods never ceased to creep him out this early in the morning. Everything was still starting to wake from its slumber, coming to life as the sun made its way through the sky.

He passed a fallen tree. Its bark was splashed with dried blood, he noticed. _Weird,_ he thought, frowning. He heard a load growl to his left and turned. A walker was trapped under a large tree branch, its arms flailing about in search of Louis. He hunched over it. As he neared it, he noticed puncture marks on its shirt, dried blood staining the white fabric.

"These are recent," he breathed, inspecting the slash marks. _AJ may have gone this way,_ he thought to himself.

Before he could delve further into his theory, he heard a scream come from his left. _Aasim!_ He stood up in a hurry, jumping over the fallen tree and sprinting through the woods. As a soft breeze picked up, the leaves above him rustled, the sound of it almost drowning his thoughts. He rushed past the small bridge that ran over the river and saw the source of the scream.

Aasim was struggling with a walker on the far side of the ramshackle hut, its deathly grip strong on his forearm. Aasim's bow was lying on the ground a few feet away from him, and a walker was crawling toward him from the edge of the river.

"Louis!" he exclaimed when he spotted the freckled man, his eyes filled with fear.

Springing to action, Louis took care of the crawler first, stomping its head with the sole of his boot. He used 'Chairles' to dispatch of the walker that had a grip on Aasim's arm, crushing its skull with a sickening crunch. As its grasp on his arm loosened, Aasim landed on his ass on the ground, breathing heavily.

Louis offered his hand to the man, who took it graciously. He dusted himself off, attempting to control his breathing. "Thanks, man," he said, nodding at Louis.

"No problem," Louis replied with a lopsided grin. "Wouldn't want you dying before you get married. What would I tell Ruby?"

"Don't joke about that, man."

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. Louis looked around, noticing for the first time where they were. He set 'Chairles' against the wall of the hut and raised an eyebrow. "Why were you at the fishing hut?"

Aasim picked up his bow, strapping it to his back. "I remembered AJ mentioned something about fishing to me last night, and I thought maybe he had come here."

Louis frowned, unable to recall such a comment from the young boy. "Did he talk specifically about this place?"

"Not that I remember," Aasim said, shrugging. "But where else could he be referring to?"

Louis racked his brain for clues, thinking about recent interactions with AJ. To his recollection, the boy hadn't mentioned anything about going fishing, as it had always been his least favorite chore while at the school.

Suddenly, a specific memory flashed before his eyes. Something that had happened over five years ago, quite a ways away from this particular fishing hut.

He grabbed Chairles and looked up at the clear sky. It was a beautiful light blue by now, streaks of yellow from the sun shining through it. He got his bearings and then turned to Aasim, who was staring at him like he was crazy.

"I know where he is," he announced, nodding.

"How?"

"I just do," he promised. "Go back and let Clem know I got it. Find Vi too. No need having her looking around for no reason."

"Are you gonna tell me where AJ is?" Aasim said, irritated by now.

"Just trust me, okay?" Louis asked. Aasim rolled his eyes and nodded.

"Alright, I'll go tell Clem," he promised, adjusting his bow. "You both better come back safe."

"We will."

With that, Louis bounded off into the forest. He kept the sun on his left, avoiding the places where the groans and moans of nearby walkers were heard the loudest. He'd been walking for about half an hour when he reached what he'd been looking for. A barbed fence ran the length of a yard, sheaths of tall grass covering most of it.

A mangled corpse was trapped in between two of the wires, its body slashed in the same manner as the one he'd found earlier. A deep bloody hole adorned its forehead, its mouth agape. He used Chairles to lift up the barbed wire and slip through it.

He slowly made his way through the grass, using his hunting knife to cut the longest ones to have a better view. After a few minutes, he stepped onto a gravel path. In front of him was a large lake, extending as far as the eye could see. On the other bank, the orange leaves of the trees reflected on the crystalline surface.

A small shack stood on the edge of the yard, its windows and door destroyed years ago. Half the roof had collapsed on itself since the last time he'd been there, a wooden beam sticking out the side of it. There was a small pier that housed a single lonely wooden boat. Its oars were completely gone, but the wood was intact, albeit somewhat rotten. Inside the boat was AJ, facing the water and giving his back to Louis. Louis sighed at the sight, walking slowly forward.

When he was a short distance away from the boy, he stopped and put his hands in his pockets. "Hey buddy," he said, startling AJ.

The boy turned on the spot and stared at Louis, a look of shock present on his face.

"Louis? How did you find me?"

"I'm an amazing detective," Louis claimed, pompously grabbing the flaps of his trench coat.

AJ turned back to the water and sighed. "Sure, Louis."

Frowning, the freckled man stepped onto the boat and sat beside AJ. It rocked a bit in the shallow water, creating ripples on its pristine surface. Louis wondered how it had managed to stay so clean after all these years, but focused on the more pressing matter.

"What's on your mind, AJ?" he whispered, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. Thankfully, he didn't shake the hand off.

"Louis, do you love me?"

Taken aback, Louis smiled. "Of course I love you, little dude," he said. "You're my family."

"Remember the last time we were here?" AJ asked, looking over at the horizon. "You told me that exact thing over there." He pointed somewhere in the middle of the lake, where the water deepened and its blue hue became darker.

"I do remember that," Louis said. "That's how I found you, actually."

"I want to believe that, Louis," said AJ. "But lately, it feels as if you and Clem love the baby more than me. Like you don't want to be with me anymore."

"What gave you that idea?"

"Well, not at first, but I got the feeling you guys were pushing me away," AJ attempted to explain, frowning as he grasped for words. "It's like the baby is taking my place."

"The baby is doing no such thing, kiddo," Louis assured him. "Having a baby will not change how Clem and I feel about you. It just means there's even more love to go around."

AJ pursed his lips, looking up at his father figure. The only one he'd ever known. He cast his eyes down to his hands, shaking his head. "But you guys are like a different kind of family, you know? Clem has always felt like a mom to me, but I always knew she wasn't really my mom. I never met my mom and dad. Clem told me some stories about them, but she didn't know them for long either. I never really had a real father. This baby won't feel that. He or she will have two real parents."

"Well, yeah. We will be related by blood, but that doesn't make you any less important. Listen, I had a biological father, and he was a grade-A asshole."

"He was?" AJ asked.

"Yeah, and I hated him my whole life. He's the reason I was sent to the school in the first place. What I'm trying to say here is that having a real father isn't what defines your value as a person. It's what you think of yourself that matters."

The boy looked down at the floor of the boat pensively, absently kicking a small pebble that had lodged itself between two planks. Louis placed a hand on AJ's shoulder, smiling down at his adoptive son.

"AJ, we love you so much, and I know that when this baby comes you'll be the best big brother anyone could ever ask for. All it takes is a little confidence in yourself. I promise you, you'll never be cast aside. Not by me and especially not by Clementine. You'll always be her little goofball."

AJ smiled at the thought, looking up at Louis. "You really mean that?"

"Hell yeah, little man," he exclaimed, clapping the boy's shoulder. "You remember the first time we came here? You asked me if Clem and I were having a baby."

"I did?"

"Yep, I was shocked too," Louis said, nodding. He looked up at the sun, which was already high up above them, warming the otherwise chilly atmosphere. "I think we should get going now. Clem must be worried sick."

"Yeah," AJ replied, getting off the boat and walking toward the overgrown yard. He looked back at Louis with a sad smile. "Oh and, Louis?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry I ran off."

"Don't sweat it, little man. Just try not to do that again, okay?"

The pair made their way through the tall grass, reaching the barbed wire and slipping through it with some effort. As they made their way back to the school, AJ suggested they play 'Plant Spotting', which brought a smile to Louis's face.

For the next half hour, they pointed out exotic plants along the way, grading each other on how cool it looked. A rather beautiful yellow daffodil with orange streaks earned Louis a perfect score, while AJ only got eight when he caught a glimpse of a white rose with dark red stains. The boy claimed they were natural streaks, while Louis argued it was just some walker's blood. In the end, he let AJ have it and awarded him a ten, effectively tying the game.

When they reached the school, Louis pulled AJ aside and kneeled in front of him. "Now, I want you to apologize to Clem, alright?"

"Yeah, I'll do it," AJ said, nodding.

"Let's just hope she doesn't kill you," Louis teased.

"She wouldn't do that."

"You're right," Louis said. "I forgot you have some sort of immunity to her anger."

AJ giggled as they pushed the gates of the school open, surprised that no one was there to greet them. They spotted Violet stepping out of the admin building in a rush, when her eyes landed on Louis. She rushed to them, offering a cursory smile to AJ.

"Glad you're back, kiddo," she said, her breathing rather ragged. Louis frowned and looked down at his friend, raising an eyebrow.

"Vi, what's wrong?" he asked. "Walker attack or something?"

 _God, I hope not._

"No, Lou," she said rather irritably. "It's Clementine."

"What is it?" Louis's tone dropped at the mention of his wife, horrible thoughts swimming through his mind.

"The baby's coming."


	21. Chapter 21

"The baby's coming."

Panic surged through Louis's body when he heard those three words, making him shake on the spot. His eyes went wide, staring blankly at Violet. The blonde rolled her eyes and pushed Louis toward the admin building. From inside, Louis could hear faint screams.

"Is that Clementine?"

"Yeah, turns out childbirth is not such a joyride after all," Violet snapped. They rushed into the building and headed straight for the music room, where another scream echoed.

They pushed the doors open and Louis spotted his wife lying on the floor, a thick blanket beneath her. Her legs were spread out, a blanket covering them all the way to her feet, and her face was almost completely red. Ruby was kneeling in front of Clem, telling her to breathe in and out, which was probably just stressing the pregnant woman even more. Tenn and Willy were on the sidelines, both of them holding bandages and a small blanket, too awestruck to move.

She laid eyes on Louis, her eyes tinged with fear. When she beckoned him over, he obliged, kneeling beside her and taking her hand. "Hey baby, I'm here, don't worry."

"She's not supposed to be here yet, Louis," she breathed, her voice cracking. "It's too soon!"

"I know, baby, I know," Louis said, kissing her hand. "But I know you're strong. This baby's coming safe and sound."

He nodded at her, and she pursed her lips in response. She didn't look too convinced. Another contraction hit her then, and she hunched over in pain. Ruby placed her hands on Clem's knees, gently reminding her to breathe.

"We shouldn't have come here," Clem gasped, looking up at Louis. "We should have listened to Eleanor and stay put at Richmond."

"A little late for that, honey," Louis joked, earning a punch from Clementine. _Don't joke with a pregnant woman, Louis._

AJ was standing by the door, awkwardly shuffling his feet. He stared at Clem as she breathed heavily, squeezing Louis's hand tightly. "I'm glad you're okay, AJ," she breathed out. She attempted a smile at her adoptive son but trembled when a surge of pain shot through her spine.

"It's alright, I'm here," Louis assured her again, nodding. He turned to AJ and smile. "Hey, kiddo, would you bring Clem here some water?"

The boy nodded vigorously and rushed out of the room, closing the door behind him. Louis watched in horror as Clem heaved ragged breaths, her eyes closed. Ruby kneeled in front of Clem, giving the couple a reassuring smile. Lifting the blanket at her feet, she nodded at Clem.

"We're almost ready to start pushing," she announced, checking her wristwatch.

"What are you, checking what time it is?" Louis asked frantically, his mind racing a thousand miles an hour.

"I'm checking how close together the contractions are, dummy," Ruby corrected, showing them her watch. "I read on a few maternity books that, when contractions are two minutes apart or less, it's almost go time."

"Alright," Clem said, propping herself up on her elbows and breathing heavily in the process. "When should I-"

She was cut off as another contraction tore through her body. Clem let out an agonizing scream, making Louis shudder. _What can I even do now_? he kept asking himself, looking around frantically. Just before he could ask Ruby about it, AJ burst through the door with a water bottle and a towel.

"Aasim said this would work," he said, handing Louis the bottle and Ruby the towel.

The freckled man took it and uncapped it, gently tipping its contents into Clem's mouth, who drank it eagerly. Every few seconds, he repeated the process, receiving thankful smiles from Clem in return. Ruby soaked the towel with the bottle and pressed it gently against Clem's forehead. The redhead turned to AJ and winked at him.

"Thank you, AJ," she said. "That was very helpful."

AJ beamed at Clem, who offered him a tired smile. Willy and Tenn approached AJ, Tenn placing a comforting hand on AJ's shoulder. Ruby was still telling Clem to breathe, while she obliged begrudgingly. The redhead turned to Willy and Tenn and frowned.

"Anyone who isn't the father or adopted son, please get outta here," she ordered, with a tone that left little room for argument.

The two boys rushed out of the room, leaving the foursome alone. Another scream escaped Clementine, making Louis and AJ both frown. Her eyes widened as her hands ran over her swollen belly. Louis could clearly see where the baby was kicking, her skin stretching beneath her slender fingers.

She grabbed Louis by the collar, pulling him down to her level. Her voice was soft and shaky as she said, "Louis, I'm scared."

"You don't have to be scared, baby," he said, taking the hand that held his collar and squeezing it. "I'll be here every step of the way."

"What if she's not right?" Clem asked, her brows knit tightly. "What if something's going wrong right now? Christa went through the same thing when Omid died, and the baby… We couldn't save it, Lou. I can't lose this baby too. I just can't."

"I know, honey. I know. We won't let that happen to our baby, alright? Ruby here will do everything she can to deliver little Ruth safely into the world."

"I swear to god, if you don't drop the name Ruth, I'll strangle you with the umbilical cord and let you turn," she warned, her eyes slanted.

Louis chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "Alright, Ruth is off the table. But the sentiment still stands."

"I just hope you're right."

"Just focus that hope on pushing as hard as you can," Ruby called from ahead of her, startling her. "AJ, could you-"

She was cut off by Aasim bursting through the doors, his bow in hand. Seeing the look of panic in his friend's face, Louis stood up abruptly, knocking over the empty water bottle. "What happened?" he said.

"Walkers," Aasim said simply. "Tons of them. They must have been drawn by…" he stopped when Clem glared at him from the floor, shaking his head. "Not important, we need your help."

Louis looked back and forth between Clem and Aasim, trying to make a decision. When he took too long, Ruby made it for him, pushing him out of the room with her fiancé.

"Go deal with them walkers. AJ and I will take it from here," she said, shoving them outside.

Louis looked back at Clem, who was frowning at him through the crack in the door behind Ruby. "I'll be back in no time!" he promised.

As the door slammed shut in front of him, he turned to see Aasim readying an arrow on his bow. He leaned down and grabbed Chairles off the floor, following his friend through the hallways and out into the courtyard. Walkers were piling onto the barred gate, their bony arms outstretched in search of prey. The hinges were creaking under the weight of the undead, dust falling to the ground around them.

Willy stood a few yards away from the gate, holding a machete in his hands, ready to slash and dice. Where he had gotten that from, Louis didn't know, but he wasn't going to question it. At least a dozen walkers were pressed against the gate, loud growls and moans filling the afternoon air. Louis surveyed the area, looking for solutions.

There were too many to face head-on and charge into them. The gate wouldn't hold them forever, its old rusty hinges already on the verge of collapsing. He raised Chairles over his head and called to Tenn, whose eyes went wide.

"Tenn, I need you to open the gate!" he said, the gurgling of the walkers almost drowning out his shout.

"WHAT?" exclaimed Aasim, looking to his right at Louis as if he was crazy. "Are you trying to get us all killed?"

"Look at them, Aasim," he said, pointing at the gate with Chairles. "We can't take them all outside, and that door ain't holding all day. Might as well keep our door healthy before the smelly patrol does it in for us."

Aasim looked back at the walkers with a frown and sighed when he could find no other alternatives. He nodded at Tenn, who approached the gate warily and released the latch on the right side, letting it drop to the ground. As the gate creaked open, Tenn rushed back to the admin building's door. Louis straightened up as the undead finally got the door open, piling onto each other to reach their live prey.

He ordered Aasim to take the left side, and Willy to take the right. "We'll split them up, make them more manageable!"

"Are you sure seven on one is manageable?" Willy called out as one of the walkers got too close to him and he slashed his weapon, slicing its head in half. He looked down at the bloody blade, chuckling as he used it to perforate another walker's eye.

Louis braced himself for the first customer: a male walker with a blue overall and a very questionable fashion sense. "Batter up, fuckface!" he said, swinging his chair leg wildly and hearing the crunching sound of the walker's head being ripped from its rightful place. Behind that fallen walker, five more sauntered toward him, their white eyes fixed on the freckled man.

He dashed to the left, jumping over an overturned table. As two of the walkers tried to reach him over it, He swung Chairles again and caught the edge of one of their heads, blood spurting onto the wooden table. On the left side of the courtyard, Aasim shot yet another arrow into the head of an overweight walker, its body falling to the ground with a thump.

"Watch out!" Aasim called to Louis when one of them took hold of his arm, pulling him to it. Louis was trapped in a death grip with one of the walkers while his left hand battled with two others, swinging Chairles wildly.

"Aasim!" he exclaimed, groaning with the effort of staying on his feet.

Just before the walker that had its grip on his arm was about to take a bite out of his hand, he heard something whiz past his head, landing with a thud on the side of its head. Louis's head whipped to his left, spotting Aasim aiming his bow in his direction and lower it just in time to get rid of yet another one with his hunting knife.

He stepped back and ducked beneath the arms of a skinny female walker. He stumbled his way to Aasim, crushing the skull of a walker whose arm was reaching for Aasim's hair. "Little too close for comfort, don't you think?" he teased. They exchanged a nod, turning to see barely three walkers coming their way. Aasim shot an arrow at the one on the far left, leaving Louis to practice his batting on the one on the right. Its head flew clean off, landing on the ground and splashing the grass blades with a red tinge.

Aasim dispatched of the last one with his knife, using Clementine's trick of kicking their knees from underneath them. On the other side of the courtyard, Willy was removing his machete from the last walker, which seemed to have gotten stuck as it crashed onto the boy. Louis rushed to his side, heaving the undead off of Willy.

Louis offered his hand to the boy, who graciously took it. He surveyed the courtyard, counting at least fifteen corpses littering the ground. Aasim helped Tenn close up the gate, securing the latch before more walkers could make their way to them. Louis was about to say something to Aasim when a guttural scream tore through the air.

"That's Clementine!" he exclaimed, breaking into a sprint. He burst through the admin building's door, turning to the right. As he got to the double doors at the end of the corridor, he spotted AJ sitting against the wall to the left, absently spinning the chamber of his gun. Louis started turning the knob, but AJ stopped him.

"No, don't."

"Why not?" Louis asked, frowning.

"Ruby said she needs space," AJ explained, setting down the revolver. "She said the baby's taking a little longer than expected and…" he furrowed his brows and tried to recall his earlier conversation, "and to tell you that Clem's just fine."

Louis huffed in annoyance as yet another scream tore through the room, chilling him to his very bones. He leaned against the opposite wall to AJ, sliding down to the ground. _He should be the one in there helping her._ The pair said nothing as they waited. AJ kept playing with his gun, the intense clicking breaking the silence that ensued in between Clementine's cries.

"AJ, cut it out," snapped Louis, closing his eyes. AJ stopped, looking up at Louis with wide eyes. "It's getting on my nerves."

"Sorry."

After that, they resorted to silently enduring Clementine's screams, praying to any god that would listen that she would be alright. _C'mon Clem, I know you can do it,_ he thought, taking deep breaths to calm his unsteady heart.

He thought about the day he'd found out he would be a father. Clem had been feeling under the weather, and he'd given her space to clear her head. It hadn't occurred to him that she'd run off and go on a near-suicide mission, but the prize she brought back was more than he could have ever asked for. A small plastic stick had been tucked away in the pocket of her jacket, and one of those cheesy greeting cards from the shopping malls.

" _Congratulations, you're gonna be a daddy_." She's gone out of her way to get a card from that rundown mall just for his amusement. Seven months later, here they were. He was about to actually become a father, despite his previously fervent belief that he'd never be any good at it. _I guess you didn't screw me over that badly, huh, dad?_ He laid his head back on the wall, his eyes heavy. When had been the last time he slept?

At one point, Omar turned the corner and approached both AJ and him with two bowls. He shook Louis's shoulder, startling the man awake. Louis took the bowl warily, looking up at the chef.

"How long have we been here?" he asked incredulously. Couldn't have been more than twenty minutes, right?

"About four hours," Omar informed him with a raised eyebrow. Louis's eyes shot wide open, blinking rapidly. He shot up, almost spilling the bowl's contents onto himself, and looked at the door. It was then that he noticed Clementine was still screaming on the other side.

"Did Ruby say what's going on?" he asked Omar.

"She's been holed in there since you fell asleep," Omar informed Louis, shaking his head slowly. "AJ tried to get in an hour ago, but Ruby kicked him out again."

"There was a lot of blood," AJ commented, staring blankly at the contents of his bowl, stirring it absently.

"Don't worry about that, kiddo, that's normal," Louis assured him. _Was that normal?_ his mind was screaming at him, demanding an immediate answer. _Why would you tell him it's normal, you idiot?!_

AJ nodded slowly and went back to his soup, sipping on the edge of the spoon. Another scream ensued from inside the music room, this one much fainter. AJ and Louis exchanged a look for a moment before Omar left them to their devices, promising he'd be back to check on them.

Louis sipped his soup hungrily, realizing just then how hungry he really was. He gulped down its contents, sighing in contentment as he set the bowl on the floor beside him. In front of him, AJ had already finished his meal and was staring intently at his adoptive father.

"Penny for your thoughts, little man?"

"What?" AJ blinked.

"It means, what's on your mind?" AJ cocked his head, looking down at the hardwood floor pensively.

"Louis," AJ said. His eyes found Louis's, and his hands were joined on his lap. "Is Clem gonna die?"

The freckled man blinked rapidly, taken aback by the question. It was the question he had been dreading to ask himself, lest he find out the gruesome answer on his own accord. He looked up at AJ with a frown.

"Of course not, little man," he told him, his tone a little harsher than he'd meant it to be. "Why would you ask that?"

"Well, my mom died when she had me," AJ explained, shrugging. "Don't you think it will be the same with this baby?"

"Clem told me about Rebecca, AJ," Louis said, shaking his head. "This is completely different. They were in the middle of winter; freezing their asses off, with no supplies to even hold themselves together. This time"

"Yeah, but what if she doesn't make it?" As if confirming his suspicions, Clementine's next scream was one of the fiercest, her voice already going raw.

 _Work with me a little, would you?_ Louis sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Trust me, AJ, this baby is only changing things for good. Nothing is happening to Clementine, I'll make sure of that."

"You can't promise tha-"

They were interrupted when a new, different cry broke through the silence that had enveloped them without them noticing. This one was different than the last ones. It was high pitched, to the point where it was almost deafening. Louis and AJ stared at each other for a moment, their eyes wide. A soft clicking noise was heard beside them, and Ruby poked her head through the crack in the door.

"Louis, would you mind coming inside?" she said, unable to contain the smile that tugged at her lips.

"Can I come in?" AJ asked excitedly, jumping on the balls of his feet to get a good look over her shoulder. Ruby pursed her lips, shaking her head slowly.

"Clem's very tired right now," she informed him, her voice soft. "For now, it's just the father."

Pouting AJ crossed his arms. Louis promised he'd let him in soon and followed Ruby inside. The atmosphere inside the music room had flipped around drastically. The evening sun still shone through the high window to the right, filling the room with a beautiful orange and yellow hue. Louis could see dust particles floating peacefully through the stronger rays of sunlight, bathing the music room.

"I'll give you some time," he heard Ruby say as the redhead retreated from the room and closed the door behind her.

On the large couch beside the piano, Louis spotted Clementine lying back against the armrest. She had bags under her eyes and her face was pale. Despite how tired she looked, Louis had never seen such a beaming smile adorning his wife's lips. _Not even at our wedding,_ he thought cheekily. Her hair was matted with sweat, most of her curls sticking to her forehead.

His eyes lowered until they found what they were looking for. In her arms, Clementine was holding a bundle of blankets, which resembled a small pink burrito. _Really, a burrito?_ he chastised himself. He stepped forward slowly, afraid he might startle the bundle with the creaking of the floorboards. As he got closer, he spotted a tiny face tucked away in between that mess of blankets.

The baby's nose was wrinkled, her eyes still closed. She had thankfully stopped crying, but her mouth was still slightly open. Her skin was a light shade of copper, contrasting with the pale pink of the blankets. Over her small head was a tuft of curly brown hair. Louis kneeled down beside Clem without a word, his eyes glued to the baby in her arms. He sat down beside her on the couch to get a better look, his eyes watering at the beautiful sight in front of him.

"It's a girl," he heard Clementine whisper from his left.

"She's…" he said, looking for words that might begin to describe the feelings he was experiencing. _Beautiful? Gorgeous? Wonderful?_ All those words were good, he thought, but they fell short when he compared them to what his eyes were seeing. He almost felt compelled to make up a new word just to describe her. After a few seconds, he gave up on finding the right one and settled for, "perfect."

Without a word, Clem moved her arms slowly upwards and placed the bundle in Louis's arms. The freckled man gasped when he felt the seemingly weightless baby in his hands. He looked down at her, unable to contain his smile. Would he ever be able to wipe it off his face? He doubted it.

"Hey there," he breathed, his lower lip quivering as his baby shook her head, attempting to open her eyes. After a few attempts, she succeeded and looked up at Louis with a set of beautiful grey eyes. "I'm your daddy," he whispered.

"She looks so real," Louis breathed, marveling at the baby in his arms, afraid to move his fingers lest she break in his grasp. Clem gave him a weird look, and he shook his head. "You know what I mean. She's beautiful."

"I know, isn't she?" Clem said, her voice hoarse after hours of excruciating pain.

"Are her eyes supposed to be that way?" he asked, tilting his head as he inspected the deep grey that seemed to cover the baby's entire irises.

"Eleanor warned me that's what all babies' eyes look like," she explained. She ran a thumb over the baby's cheek, the softest of graces over her smooth skin. "But I reckon she'll have your eyes."

"What, these old things?" Louis teased, gesturing to his brown eyes. "Nah, my baby is having my wife's beautiful golden eyes, and that's my final decision."

"That's sweet," Clem replied, taking her eyes off the baby for the first time to look at Louis. He leaned in, careful not to crush the baby between them, and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "We still don't have a name for her," she reminded him.

"That's right," he said, nodding. He looked into the baby's eyes, slanting his own. "I don't think any of the names we thought of fits, do you?"

"No, you're right," she agreed, shaking her head.

"You know, when I was out there fending off the smelly patrol," he said, earning a chuckle from his wife. "I thought of something Ruby said."

"And what's that?" Clem asked, smiling when she noticed her husband was rocking the baby back and forth in a soft rhythm. The baby's eyes started dropping slowly until her breathing became steady.

"When she told you to push, she said 'focus that hope on pushing as hard as you can'," he attempted Ruby's southern accent rather atrociously, shaking his head. "Anyway, it got me thinking. What about Hope?"

"Hope?"

"For the baby," he said, looking down at her. "Hope Everett." He couldn't stop tears from trickling down his eyes when he said it. It just _felt_ right.

"Hmm, I like it," she said with a grin, similar tears filling her own eyes. "But it's missing something."

"How so?"

"What about Leslie for a middle name?" she asked, a smile tugging at her lips as her husband did a double take.

"You – You'd do that for me?"

"I know you loved your mom," she replied, looking down at little Hope. "And if she were here, I know she'd be proud of her son. I think this is as good a tribute as any."

Louis's lips shook, unspoken words trapped between them. He looked down at his daughter with the utmost adoration in his eyes, doing his best to keep his composure.

"Hope Leslie Everett," he repeated, letting the name roll off his tongue sweetly. "My little Sunshine. How does that sound, huh?"

The baby's lips contorted into what they could only assume was the beginnings of a smile, and they looked at each other. It was decided, then. He returned Hope to her mother, setting her as gently as humanly possible in Clem's arms. He stood up, taking the opportunity to kiss Clem's forehead once more, and walked over to the music room's door. Looking back at Clem with a wink, he opened it and beckoned AJ over.

The boy entered the room excitedly, looking around in search of Clem's baby. When he spotted Clem, he rushed to her. Before he could crash into her, Louis grabbed the back of his collar and pulled him back, shaking his head.

"Clem's very tired, kiddo," he warned the boy. "And the baby's very fragile. You gotta treat her extremely gently, alright.

"Okay," AJ said, nodding. He leaned in and inspected the bundle in Clem's arms, raising both eyebrows. "She looks like a monster," he commented.

Hiding the pained expression that wanted to take over his features, Louis chuckled and kneeled beside AJ.

"Nah, that's your sister," he corrected.

"My sister?"

"Yeah," Clem assured him, nodding vigorously. "AJ. I want you to meet Hope Leslie Everett."


	22. Chapter 22

Louis paced the hallway outside Clem's room, AJ leaning against the opposite wall. It had been two days since Hope was born, and Eleanor was inside Clementine's room checking on mother and daughter. Louis had rushed as fast as he could to Richmond, arriving a day later and letting Javi and Eleanor that the baby was healthy. Javi drove them back to the school immediately.

Javi was walking down the hallway toward them. The freckled man looked up at him, a frown on his face.

"Any news on Clem?" Javi asked, eyeing the door. They heard a high-pitched chuckle from the other side and Louis smiled.

"Eleanor's still in there," he replied. "She said there's nothing to worry about, but you can understand my skepticism."

Javi nodded. "I can," he said simply. "Don't worry; Clem's the toughest woman I know. She'll be just fine."

He leaned against the wall beside AJ, crossing his arms. They waited patiently, the silence only broken by the sounds of nature outside. It was a beautiful autumn morning. The sun shone through the window, birds welcoming the beginning of a new day with their melodic singing. Louis looked out the window, seeing the dried leave on the courtyard rustle in the soft wind.

"So," Javi said after a while. "How's it feel holding your daughter?"

Louis's expression softened, his smile threatening to outshine the sun outside. "It was… incredible," he said, shrugging. "It was exactly what I expected it'd be, and more. I never thought I'd be able to love anyone as much as I love Clem, but little Hope takes the cake."

"I'm happy for you, Louis," Javi said, nodding. "You guys deserve some happiness after the shit you've been through; the shit Clem's been through."

"Strongest woman we know, right?" Louis said, winking down at AJ, who giggled.

"You guys are staying here for good now, I suppose," Javi said. It wasn't a question.

"Yeah, it's our home," Louis said, nodding slowly. "We're extremely grateful to you guys, but I think it sort of worked out in the end. We would have had to wait a few months for Clem and the baby to travel back here safely."

"It's perfectly fine," Javi said, clapping Louis on the shoulder. "Eleanor and I will leave this afternoon, and she'll be coming back a few times to check on Hope. And you're welcome to drop by anytime you want after that, you know?"

"Don't worry, we will," Louis promised. "I haven't forgotten your promise to play baseball."

Their conversation was cut short when the door to the room clicked open and Eleanor stepped out, a stethoscope hanging from her neck.

"Louis and AJ, you guys can come in if you want," she said with a soft smile. Upon seeing Louis's concerned expression, she shook her head. "Everything's perfectly fine. The labor was induced by the great amount of stress, but she got lucky. Real lucky."

Excitedly, AJ rushed into the room. Louis chuckled and followed the boy inside, closing the door behind him. The window between the beds was open, a gentle breeze flowing through it. Around the walls were some of AJ's drawings through the years, most of which they'd deemed way too valuable to carry on their trip to Richmond.

Clementine was lying on the right bed, holding Hope in her arms. She was rocking the baby softly back and forth, soft whimpers escaping Hope before she fell asleep. Clem's eyes drifted upwards to her husband walking toward her.

"She gave us the all clear," she informed him, her smile lighting up the entire room. "We'll just have to be extra careful wit her for a while since she's not born full-term."

"Honey, she could have been born with two heads, I would have still been extra careful," Louis said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"How would she be born with two heads?" AJ asked innocently, tilting his head to the side. "Can babies do that?"

"No, it's uh… It's a joke, little dude," Louis said. "Now, has little Hope had breakfast yet?" he asked Clem, raising an eyebrow.

"Eleanor helped me breastfeed her just before you guys came in," Clem said looking down at the baby. She ran a soft slender finger over her cheek, making Hope smile. "She's an angel; my little sweet pea."

"Sweet pea," AJ repeated, smiling. "Isn't that what Lee used to call you?"

"It is," Clem said. "I think it's fitting, don't you think?"

"I like it," AJ decided. He looked down at her with a frown, pursing his lips. "When will she wake up?"

"I just put her to sleep-," Clem started to say before a small cough announced the opposite. As if on command, Hope slowly opened her dark eyes, blinking rapidly due to the bright light of the sun. "Hey there, little one," Clem whispered, tapping her nose.

"Look who woke up from her beauty sleep," Louis cooed over his daughter. He extended his arms and Clementine placed the baby on them, carefully setting her head in the crook of his elbow. Hope looked up at her father, her nose scrunching up as she sneezed.

"Is she allergic to you?" AJ asked.

"She's not allergic to him, goofball," Clem said upon seeing Louis's hurt expression, a smile on her face. "Eleanor told me her senses are still very susceptible right now."

"Sus… what?" AJ said, frowning.

"It means she's more likely to sneeze or cry than we are," Louis said, looking to Clem for support, who nodded approvingly.

"Oh, alright," said AJ. He looked down at Hope, who stared back at him. Though AJ's lips curled into a smile, he raised an eyebrow. "What does she do?"

Clem and Louis both chuckled, startling Hope. The baby began whimpering, and Clem took matters into her own hands. She took Hope from her father's arms and started rocking her back and forth, humming softly. She sang the lullaby she used to sing for AJ when he was a baby. _A different time._

As AJ stared at the proud mother, Louis stood up and took the guitar that was leaning on the dresser, strumming it gently. Husband and wife played off each other, both of them looking down at their daughter. She was staring back at them, her small brows tightly knitted in confusion.

" _Hush little baby, don't say a word,_ " Clem sang, the harmony in her voice filling up the room. Hope blinked a few times, intent on finding the source of the new sound.

" _Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird,_

 _And if that mockingbird won't sing,_

 _Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring._ "

Louis's heart almost melted as Hope's mouth opened wide, a soft sound escaping her as she yawned.

" _And if that diamond ring turns brass,_

 _Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass…_ "

As Clementine's singing rolled off her tongue, Hope's eyes drooped gently. Letting out another yawn, she rested her head comfortably in Clem's arms and closed her eyes for good.

"Let's hope she doesn't snore like her father," Clementine whispered, pulling Hope's blankets closer to the baby. "I could barely sleep for the first year of our relationship," she teased, winking up at him.

"Hey, you promised to take me in sickness and in health," he reminded her, unable to keep the smile from creeping onto his face. "Well, that is my sickness."

They heard a soft knock on the door, and AJ let Ruby in. Upon spotting the sleeping baby in Clementine's arms, she smiled and made a motion of zipping up her lips. She was carrying a small wooden bassinet in her hands. It was mahogany, with carvings on the small headboard. It depicted a sleeping baby in a faceless mother's arms.

"Found this stored away in one of the faculty dorms," she said softly, placing it beside Clem's bed. Louis covered its base with a small blanket sitting at the foot of his bed and, with Clem's help, he placed the baby gently on it. Hope whimpered softly, but Louis began humming the lullaby again, and she drifted back off to sleep.

"Thanks, Ruby," Clem said, lying back on the mountain of pillows at her headboard. _Who would have thought Louis's thousand pillows would become useful,_ she thought with a smile.

"Ain't no thing, sug," Ruby replied, looking down at the baby. "Aw, she looks just like you, Louis."

"Me?" Louis exclaimed dramatically, shaking his head. "Nah, that's all Clem right there. She's gonna be the prettiest girl in the apocalypse." He looked over at Clem and winked.

"Well, second prettiest."

"I actually came to tell you lunch is almost ready," Ruby said. "You guys can come whenever you want, and I'll bring you out a bowl so you don't have to move."

"I'm not a cripple," Clem said defensively, pursing her lips.

"Ruby's right, honey," Louis interjected. "Plus, we gotta stay with the baby. I'll go fetch us two bowls and we'll make a picnic of it."

"Clem, can I have lunch with Tenn and the others?" AJ said, his eyes darting to the door.

Louis chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair. "Of course you can, little dude," he said. "You can tell Tenn all about your little sister."

"Yeah!" AJ exclaimed, punching the air.

Ruby and AJ exited the room in search of food, leaving the couple to their devices. Taking one last look at Hope, a proud smile on his face, Louis turned to Clem and kissed her forehead. He started following the other two, looking back at the beautiful woman on the bed. _How had he gotten so lucky?_

"Be back in a flash."

"Don't take too long," she said as he closed the door behind him. She lied back and sighed, waiting for her husband so they could have a small family picnic.

That night, AJ had asked Clem and Louis if he could sleep in their room for a couple nights. His excuse was that he didn't want to bother Tenn, but she knew he only wanted to spend more time with Hope. The couple graciously accepted his company, of course.

Around two in the morning according to his watch, AJ woke up from a nightmare. His eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the darkness. The only source of light was the silver rays of moonlight seeping through the open window, bathing the floorboards in a pale grey hue. He looked over at the other bed, where Louis's arm was wrapped around Clementine's waist, both sleeping soundly.

He swung his feet off the bed, breathing deeply. _It's not real,_ he told himself. _They're fine._ Slowly, he made his way to the small bassinet next to the bed, making sure not to make a sound. Inside the bassinet, Hope was sleeping on her side, a warm blanket wrapped around her entire body.

"Hi, Hope," he breathed, looking down at her. The baby stirred an inch, making AJ grimace. _Don't wake her up,_ Clem had asked him in return for letting him stay in their room.

"I'm your older brother, AJ," he continued, careful to keep his voice steady. "You don't know me yet, but we'll have a lot of time to hang out together. I – I used to be jealous of you, but I'm not now. I think you'll be cool."

He felt stupid talking to himself, wondering why in the world he was doing it. But something about that nightmare told him it was the right thing to do, lest he never got another chance. His eyes drifted upwards for a second, landing on the sleeping couple. They looked peaceful, the smile etched on Clem's lips illuminated by the pale moonlight.

Looking down again, he said, "I want you to know that I'll always be there for you. I'll teach you how to shoot, how to be quiet when there's monsters. I'll show you how to draw as well. I've gotten pretty good at that, or at least Clem says so."

He dipped his hand in the bassinet, carefully running a finger over the baby's belly, trekking up her body. _She's so soft,_ was his only thought. As he passed her arm with his index finger, something amazing happened. Hope's left hand had a grip on his finger, wrapping her entire palm around it. Her tiny fingers barely touched each other, but her grasp on him was rather strong.

The corner of AJ's mouth curled upwards. He remembered Clem told him he'd done that same thing as a baby, but he'd never really understood the significance of it. He did now. Hope was weak now, but she would get stronger, just like he had. She'd be a great sister, and he would make sure to be the best brother he could be.

"I promise you," he whispered, caressing her closed hand with the hem of his thumb. "I'll protect you from the bad things and the monsters, just like Clem did for me," he said, nodding.

He was startled when Clementine coughed from the bed in front of him. He looked up, slowly removing his finger from Hope's clasp and stepping back. Clem's eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dim light. When they found AJ standing in the middle of the room, she tilted her head to the side.

"AJ?" she croaked, still half asleep. "What are you doing there?" She stifled a yawn and she propped herself up on her elbow, looking down at the bassinet. Hope still slept soundly, breathing evenly.

"Uh, nothing," AJ lied, putting his hands behind his back. "I thought I saw Hope moving, so I wanted to check on her."

 _That's the fastest I've ever thought,_ he thought triumphantly.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Clem asked as she rubbed her eyes, a little louder than she'd intended to. Hope stirred in her sleep, and Clementine grimaced. To her relief, she drifted back off to sleep. Again, AJ hesitated.

"I know how tired you've been," he whispered, shrugging. "Didn't want to disturb you over nothing."

 _I am on fire!_

"Alright, thank you," Clem said, deeming his answer reasonable. She lied back on the pillow, burying her head in the crook of Louis's neck and placing her right hand over his heart. The soft thumping of her husband's steady heart lulled Clementine back to sleep, leaving AJ alone in the dark.

He walked slowly back to his bed, thinking about how stupid this whole thing had been. _The baby can't understand me yet,_ he thought, _why did I say all that?_ The dream hadn't even been that different from his other nightmares, he argued with himself. Why had this time been any different, now that Hope was born?

As he pondered those unanswerable questions, his mind began to drift off. The last thing he remembered before he was thrust into dreamland again was Hope's finger wrapped around his finger. His sister's smile brought a similar smile creeping on his face, and the nightmares didn't haunt him again that night.

The weeks flew by in seconds, seemingly blurring together the passage of time. On a clear spring afternoon, Clem and Louis sat at one of the tables out in the courtyard. Louis held a five-month-old Hope in his arms, bouncing her gently as they watched Tenn, AJ, Willy, and Ruby kicked around a soccer ball they'd found. They didn't know the rules, but they laughed and played all the same.

Hope chuckled as Louis bounced her especially high, and Clem looked over at her daughter. Her previously dark eyes had cleared over the months until they were a soft hazel, alight with joy. Louis's fingers ran through the girl's brown curls, ruffling them gently. To both Clem and Louis's delight, Hope had inherited her father's freckles, ranging from the top of her cheeks to just below her lower lip. " _Little constellations of love,_ "Louis called them.

Clem looked over at AJ and the others, smiling when Tenn scored a goal with his hands. She didn't have the heart to tell them that wasn't how you played soccer, so she clapped along with the rest. Atop the watchtower by the wall was Violet, waving at her best friend. Clem waved back, a smile taking form on her face.

Beside her, Louis bounced their daughter playfully, raising her small arms in triumph. Eleanor had been coming to the school every two weeks to check on Hope, always to the new parents' chagrin. Thankfully, their baby was much stronger than they'd given her credit, and she'd pulled through every expectation.

After ten medical visits, Eleanor had finally deemed Hope healthy enough to live on her own with Clem and Louis in Ericson. Of course, before their final trip to the school wound to a close, Javi had extracted a promise from Clementine to visit Richmond at some point in the near future.

Clem looked up at the cloudless sky. The sun shone over them warmly. A soft spring breeze picked up from outside, swaying the tops of the trees on the other side of the school walls. She remembered how beautiful the trees back home used to be. She'd stare at them from her tree-house all the time, telling Sandra they were dancing giants.

She almost didn't hear Tenn whistling and waving at them. AJ ran up to the couple, his eyes lingering on Hope for a few seconds longer.

"You guys wanna play?" he asked excitedly, almost jumping on the balls of his feet.

Clem looked down at the baby, who stared back with a blank expression.

"I think we'll pass on-" she was cut off by Louis nodding and getting up, bringing Hope up with him.

"We'd love to join you guys," he announced, following AJ to the makeshift pitch and leaving Clementine on the table. She tried to protest, but her two boys were already bounding off to join the rest, laughing about something AJ said. Louis held Hope by the waist, gripping her tightly. After the scare last month, he wasn't gonna risk dropping her.

Sighing dejectedly, she followed them onto the pitch and picked a side. Her team was Ruby and Willy, while Louis joined Tenn and AJ on the other side. Louis bounced Hope in his arms playfully, making her giggle. She'd started laughing about a month ago when Louis made a stupid face at her, and the man still claimed it was his greatest accomplishment to date.

"What do you say, Sunshine?" Louis said to Hope, pressing their cheeks together and staring at Clem with a smirk. "You think we can beat these guys?"

" _Yes daddy,_ " Louis's high voice came in response, making everyone in his side laugh, including little Hope.

"We'll wipe the floor with you," Clem teased, her hands at her hips. "I played soccer in school."

"Oh, big words," Louis mocked, raising an eyebrow. "We'll see whose floor is… whose wipe…" he stuttered, looking for a clever joke. "You know what, let's just play."

And with that, the game was off. Ruby and Tenn played keeper for their respective teams, the goal consisting of two big trash cans they'd found somewhere in the admin building. Clem thought Louis had an unfair advantage, as he was carrying Hope the whole time and the others wouldn't dare move against him directly. Father and daughter weaved through Clementine and Willy as they scored yet another goal in between Ruby's legs.

Twenty minutes later, the game was somehow tied. Clem figured it was because his husband still sucked at kicking the ball. All players were exhausted, though Hope was still squealing in joy every time Louis made a sudden movement with his hand tightly gripping the back of her head. The ball rolled to his feet at one point, leaving him a clear path to the goal. Willy had just dived for the ball, and Clem was a few paces behind Louis and Hope.

He made a beeline for Ruby, maintaining the ball in front of him as best he could and bouncing Hope in the process, making her giggle uncontrollably. As he got near the goal, he kicked it as hard as he could with the tip of his boot. The ball flew past Ruby and through the two trash cans, scoring the winning goal.

As Tenn and AJ jumped up and down in celebration, Louis lifted Hope over his head and whistled.

"Behold the champion of the soccer tournament," he announced, imitating a very bad British accent. He turned to the losing team, a smirk on his face. "Kneel before thy Queen Hope."

Though their faces showed disappointment, they couldn't help but smile as they looked up at a giggling Hope. She was flailing her arms around, reaching for Clementine. A mere second later, her laughter turned to crying as her hands gripped the air between her and her mother.

Louis brought her back down to their level, poking her on the nose. "I think someone's a little grumpy," he declared, grimacing when Hope cried harder. He looked to his wife for support, who rolled her eyes.

"She just wants to be with her mom," she said, taking the baby from Louis's arms and rocking her back and forth. As if by magic, Hope's sobs turned into whimpers and then into a soft humming. She kissed her daughter's forehead and smiled up at Louis. "See?"

He kneeled slightly and squinted at the baby, who studied him up and down. "So you like your mother more, huh?" he asked, faking a pout.

In response, Hope reached out with her right hand and slammed it down on his cheek. As he closed his eyes in surprise, she chuckled and kept at it, until Clem stopped her.

"Maybe she shows affection through violence?" Clem suggested, shrugging one shoulder. To her surprise, Louis laughed uproariously, draping an arm over her shoulder and kissing the top of her head. He scratched his chin pensively, looking up at the sky.

"I wonder who else I know who does that…"

He received a slap on the shoulder from Clem, who frowned when she realized she'd proved Louis's point. Hope looked up at her parents, both of whom had an expression of fondness in their eyes, of which she still understood little.

"I still love you," he whispered, leaning down to kiss his wife on the lips. Gags erupted all around the group, and the couple broke apart, glaring at their friends. Their daughter cocked her head to the side as Louis planted another quick kiss on Clem's forehead, and the man smiled down at her.

"You'll learn when you're older, Sunshine."


	23. Chapter 23

"Look! She's doing it again!" exclaimed Louis with a chuckle, looking back to his wife. On the floor of their room, Hope was slowly crawling from Clementine to Louis. She stopped every few seconds to regain her balance, giggling when she reached her father.

Over the last six months, Hope had been growing strong. Her curls now covered her ears, and her freckles were increasing in number. Her teeth were starting to grow now, causing her to wake Clem or Louis in the middle of the night. It was hard to believe she'd been with them for eleven months already.

"That's my little princess!" he said, lifting her off the ground and spinning in place. "Daddy's so proud of you."

He nuzzled Hope's nose with his own, kissing her cheek. Clem stood up and approached father and daughter, a smile on her face. She stood on tiptoes to kiss Hope's forehead.

"We're so proud of you, sweet pea," she whispered.

"You sticking with sweet pea?" Louis asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Got a problem with that, _Prince Charming?_ " she teased with a smirk.

Louis tipped her hat upwards and shrugged. "I think it's cute," he said.

" _You're cute_."

Blushing, Louis handed Hope back to her mother. An autumn breeze blew through the window, making Clem shiver. Smiling down on her, Louis shrugged off his trench coat and draped it over her shoulders. Hope's tiny hands reached for the flaps on Louis's coat, rubbing her cheek against the fur lining.

Louis looked down at his daughter, a smile etched on her face. She liked doing that from time to time, mostly when they let her lay down on their bed with them. Her small body rested on Clem's chest, humming softly. Louis leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, smiling when the corners of her lips curled upwards.

Before he had a chance to stand up straight, Hope's tiny hand shot up and took hold of one of his dreads, pulling down hard. Trapped, he looked up at his wife for help, but she just shrugged.

"Daddy's gotta get out of it himself," she told him, shooting him a fleeting wink.

He rolled his eyes and worked on his daughter's fingers, whose clutch on his hair was tight. He cursed under his breath as she pulled once more. Just as he was free of her grasp, Hope mumbled something unintelligible.

"What's that, sweetie?" Louis whispered, raising an eyebrow.

Hope's eyes found her father, the afternoon sun bringing out the golden hue of her irises. "Dada," she breathed, followed by a high pitched giggle.

Louis and Clem looked at each other wide-eyed, their jaws dropping. Tears in his eyes, Louis looked down at Hope. "What did you just say?" he asked gently, cocking his head to the side. Was he going crazy?

She took a moment to stare at him, pursing her tiny lips. Deciding it was worth another go, she opened her mouth and uttered, "dada," one more time.

"Oh my god!" he exclaimed, stepping back and jumping up and down. "You've never done that before, you beautiful Sunshine."

Louis took Hope from Clementine, pressing her to his body for a tight embrace. Lifting up the baby's shirt, he blew a raspberry on her belly, making her giggle uncontrollably. Clem looked on with fond eyes, crossing her arms as she reveled in her husband's joy.

"You said dada, she said dada," he kept saying, almost in disbelief. "That was your first word, oh my god."

"Yes, we're all very excited," Clem said, gesturing to Hope, who was staring at her father with a blank expression as he bounced her gently up and down.

"You're just jealous she said dada first," he teased, a smug smirk on his face.

"Sure I am," said Clem, unable to wipe the smile off her own face. "At least now you know she doesn't hate you," she added, rolling her eyes.

"Well, she wasn't laughing at my jokes," he argued. "I thought maybe she had a problem with me."

"She's a baby, Louis," she assured him. "I don't think she really cares that much about why the chicken crossed the road."

"I'm starting to think you don't either."

Before she could refute his theory, a knock came from the door. Clem walked toward it and clicked it open, revealing Tenn on the other side. He was wearing a leather jacket over his favorite band t-shirt. His jeans were ripped at the knee, and his new boots were already duct taped at the tip.

Clem let him in and he looked over at Louis, who was holding Hope in his arms. Tenn grinned at the baby, who smiled back. Waving a hand at her, he turned to Clem.

"I wanted to tell you guys that Willy and I made a little surprise for Hope and you," he said. "You'll have to follow me out into the courtyard, though."

"Today's a great day for surprises," Louis claimed, huffing out his chest proudly. "Hope just said her first word."

"She did?" Tenn asked excitedly, making a face at the baby and miraculously getting a giggle out of her.

"Yeah, she said 'dada.'"

Tenn looked at Louis suspiciously, then back at Clem. Chuckling, she crossed her arms and nodded.

"He's telling the truth."

"Why would I lie about this?" Louis said, rolling his eyes. He adjusted Hope on his waist, switching sides as his right arm got sore.

"Dunno," Tenn said, shrugging. "You guys coming?"

"Sure, lead the way," Clem said, following Tenn out of the room.

The parents walked alongside Tenn through the halls, the late afternoon sun shining through the open windows. Louis looked out of one of them and spotted Willy chatting with Omar by the cooking station, probably pestering him about dinner again. As Tenn led them through the dormitory doors, he whistled in the cook's direction, and Willy turned to them.

He made his way to the couple and Tenn, a smile on her face. "You guys are gonna love this," he said, leading the way through the half-empty courtyard. Clem and Louis shared a look, hoping to god this didn't include an explosion of any kind. As they got to the other side, Willy pulled on a rope that was attached to a high branch on one of the trees.

A wooden contraption fell down with it, swinging gently in the breeze, two ropes holding it up in midair. It had a wood backseat, attached to three thin ropes that held it all together. Clem looked at Willy for an explanation and he cleared his throat.

"Tenn and I were thinking that we never really had a swing as children," he explained. "What with walkers and all that. Now that we're a little more adapted to them, we figured Hope would want a swing of her own. And don't worry, we made it extra safe for her," he added hurriedly, seeing Clem's expression.

Clementine inspected the craftsmanship, smiling when she noticed a small inscription on the back of the swing's seat. It was Tenn's handwriting, she realized.

 _Here comes the sun._

She turned to Louis and pointed it out, making him smile. When asked about it, Tenn nodded and said, "I've heard you sing that to Hope from time to time."

"More like all the time," corrected Willy.

"It's great, guys," Louis said. "Thank you."

"Don't worry about it," Tenn said. "You can use it now if you want, dinner won't be ready for another half hour or so."

"Aw, man," Willy exclaimed as the two boys walked off, leaving the couple alone with their baby.

Louis rounded the swing, inspecting it closely for weak spots. When he was satisfied with his findings, he carefully helped Hope onto it. Her legs swung wildly in excitement, hazel eyes scanning everything around her. She clutched the ropes on either side tightly, pulling at them.

"Ready, sweet pea?" asked Clem, standing behind her. She took her squeal as a positive answer and began pushing, taking it slow first.

Hope giggled as she rose into the air, her curls flying in every which direction. Louis stood to the side with crossed arms, laughing along with his daughter as Hope swung back and forth. Clementine risked a higher push, making the baby squeal in joy. After hearing the ropes creak against the tree branch, she decreased the strength with which she pushed.

Louis leaned against the tree with a smile. "I wish we still had that camera," he commented. Framing Clem and Hope between his fingers, he made a clicking sound with his tongue.

"I don't think the flash went off," Clem said, looking sideways at him.

"Aren't you a clever one?"

"Always," said Clem, shrugging. She pushed Hope forward once more, smiling when her daughter giggled. The baby let go of the ropes, swinging his arms wildly.

"I remember the last time I was on a swing," Clem said. "It was a couple months into this whole thing and some brothers ran into out Motor Inn, and invited us to their dairy. They offered us food, but I forget what they wanted in return."

"Sound friendly enough," Louis said, nodding.

"No, they weren't," Clem corrected, shaking her head. "They turned out to be cannibals who tried to feed one of our friends to us. I almost had some, but Lee stopped me before I could."

"Oh my god," Louis exclaimed. His eyes widened at her words. _Eating human flesh?_ He couldn't even stomach the thought.

"Yeah, pretty brutal," she said, frowning at the memory. "But before we found out about that, one of the brothers fixed up a swing they had at their house. I asked Lee to push me, and he did. It's one of my best memories of him. One… one of the only ones."

Louis looked at his wife, whose face turned from a smile into a grimace. He stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked back at him, small tears threatening to break surface with her eyes. Without thinking, he extended his arms and embraced her, kissing the top of her head. Hope was still swinging gently, trying to turn around in her seat to look at her parents.

Louis cupped her face in on hand. "I think Lee would be so proud of you now," he told her, wiping away a tear with his thumb softly. "Now it's time to make some new memories. Ones that you can laugh and smile about when we're older."

Sniffing softly, Clem nodded and looked up at her husband, a smile etched on her face. "How do you always know what to say?"

"I don't," he assured her. "I think of what would be most likely to make you smile, and then I say that."

She stood on tiptoes, kissing the tip of his nose. "You're a dork, you know that?"

"A dork you married, though."

The sound of their daughter crying drew both their attention, making them chuckle when they saw her hands clutching at the air in search of Clem. The woman obliged, bouncing Hope at the waist. As Omar called them for dinner, Louis draped an arm over Clementine's shoulders, pressing her against him. _His little Ninja Family._

It was finally the day of Hope's first birthday. Louis couldn't believe it had been one whole year, marveling at how fast time flew. As he got up from the bed, he looked to the bassinet beside their bed. Much like Clem, Hope was already gone. From what he'd heard in his slumber, Hope was extremely excited to get her birthday celebration started at six in the morning.

He checked his watch, groaning when it was barely nine. Swinging his legs out of bed, he rubbed the sleep off of his eyes. AJ's bed had been unoccupied for a few months since he'd decided to give the new parents some space and move back in with Tenn.

Through the window, the early morning sun shone brightly onto the floorboards. He stood up and made his way to the courtyard, where Clem was sitting on one of the benches. Hope was slowly lifting herself off the ground, keeping her balance with the edge of Clementine's seat. She took two shy steps, her legs wobbly from the effort of keeping her weight up.

Aasim was standing at the watchtower, surveying the surroundings of the school. When Louis passed him, he offered the freckled man a wave, which Louis returned. He approached his wife with a groggy smile.

"Look who's up and about," Clem said, pretending to clap for him.

"Thank you, thank you," he teased, bowing deeply.

"I was going for sarcasm," she replied, crossing her arms. "Hope wants to see her father on her birthday."

Louis bent down and lifted Hope off the ground by way of response, kissing her cheeks relentlessly.

"Happy birthday, Sunshine," he said, his eyes brimming with joy.

"Dada!" she exclaimed, wrapping her small hands in his dreads.

"That's right, honey. You wanna go on the swing while we wait for the others?"

They spent about an hour there while the rest trickled in from a night of slumber. The last one to rise was Violet, rubbing her eyes as she exited the dorms. By then, everyone was sitting at the courtyard tables, Hope and her parents taking the middle spots. Clem held her daughter on her lap, her slender arms wrapped around her waist.

Omar had prepared a special soup for them, adding extra vegetables he and Ruby had been growing in the greenhouse. The group talked about nothing and everything at the same time, and Louis and Clem shared stories about their recent visit to Richmond.

Javi had been over the moon when he saw little Hope take her first steps accompanied by Louis. He claimed he'd have to recruit her for his baseball team back in Richmond soon enough, if only as a reserve. Despite his initial hesitance, Gabe had warmed up to Hope pretty quickly, and she'd enjoyed pulling at his hair constantly.

At some point, Willy brought out some glasses and they poured themselves some wine they'd been storing away for a special occasion. Before starting to drink, Violet clinked her spoon on her glass and stood up. Everyone looked at her and she cleared her throat.

"I'd like to make a toast," she announced, looking down at Minnie. Her girlfriend offered her a reassuring wink.

"Oh, we don't get those often," Louis teased. He got a slap on the shoulder from both Minnie and Clem.

"I wanted to congratulate you guys," she began, ignoring Louis and raising her glass. The rest followed her lead. "We've had some bad experiences here; lost people. But I think Hope has been living up to her name."

"She's given you, and all of us, hope that the world isn't so shitty after all. I never thought I'd be seeing the day Louis had a loving wife and a daughter, but yet here we are."

"Hey!" exclaimed Louis, smirking up at Violet. "I happen to be a charming man."

"He really is," Clem said, kissing his cheek.

Violet made a gagging sound, which sent everyone into laughter. After they'd calmed down, she continued. "Well, I've run out of words to say," she said simply, shrugging. "So, to Hope!"

"To Hope!" everyone chanted, taking a sip of their respective glasses.

Louis downed his glass in one go and planted a soft kiss on Clem's cheek, making her blush. She separated herself from him slightly. "Louis, stop," she giggled. "Last time that happened, this happened." She gestured to Hope, who looked up at her parents in confusion. The adults laughed, though AJ had a similar expression to Hope.

After Omar and Aasim cleaned up all the bowls, Ruby rushed to the admin building and came out with a small muffin-shaped treat. It had a candle sticking out the top, and a little letter H drawn on.

"Ain't a cake, but it's as good as," Ruby said, setting in on the table in front of Clem and Hope.

"Thanks, Ruby," said Clem, smiling up at the redhead.

Louis took out his matchbox from his coat and lit the candle, using his hand to shield the flame from the soft autumn breeze. Once it was lit, the group began singing 'Happy Birthday', startling Hope. As they sang, she scanned their faces, all alight with joy. She must have picked up on their joyous attitude, for she started smiling and clapping her hands together. When it was time for her to blow out the candle, she got a little help from her mother and stared absently at the thin column of smoke that erupted from the tip of the candle.

The sun was starting to decline by now, decreasing in warmth as the group scattered to their daily activities. Aasim and Ruby walked toward the admin building hand in hand, discussing future hunting plans for the week. Tenn, Willy, and AJ began playing a version of tag, in which one of them pretended to be a walker and could only move at walking speed. Needless to say, it got boring after a while.

Violet approached the parents, a smile on her face.

"Nice speech there, Vi," Louis said, clapping her on the shoulder. "Nearly had me in tears."

"Shut up," she said, rolling her eyes.

"No, I mean it," he assured her. "Thank you, for everything you said."

"Well, you're welcome," Vi replied. "I actually wanted to talk to your wife about something."

"Something secret for my birthday, I presume?" Louis teased, raising an eyebrow.

"More like a plan to murder you in your sleep."

"Jeez, that took a turn," Louis said, frowning. "I guess I'll take Hope while you ladies have a chat."

He reached for Hope, whose hands grabbed at his coat immediately. The two women said their goodbyes to Louis and the baby and walked toward the dorms, chatting absently. Louis looked around the courtyard and his eyes landed on the swing once more.

"You up for some more playtime before naptime, Sunshine?" he asked his daughter, who stared at him blankly. "Well, we're doing it anyway," he quipped, walking toward the swing.

When he got there, he placed little Hope on the wooden seat, strapping her down tight. Kissing her cheek one more time, he began pushing slowly, testing the waters. She deemed the activity worthy and began mumbling something unintelligible. He took it to mean she was enjoying it and kept going.

As he pushed her, he thought of Clementine. Six years down the line, and he still couldn't believe he'd ended up with the most beautiful woman in the apocalypse. _Hell, most beautiful in the world,_ he thought to himself. Hope's voice broke through his thoughts, making a smile form on his face.

"Up!" she babbled, her hands reaching for the sky as he pushed her once more.

"That's a new word, Sunshine!" he exclaimed, stopping her motion mid-swing and leaning down to her level. "Can you say mommy now?"

"Up!" she repeated, grinning at her father.

"I guess we'll take a rain check on mommy, huh."

"Up! Up! Up!" Hope babbled, tilting her tiny head back to look at Louis, her amber eyes twinkling with excitement, lips curled up to reveal a gummy smile.

Louis beamed with happiness. "Anything for you, my little Sunshine," he replied, tapping her small nose and pulling the ropes on the swing back as far as they could go. Hope giggled and kicked her legs, the anticipation ramping up. She looked so small, sitting on that long, worn wooden board and wrapped in the straps that held her in place.

"Hold on tight; don't want you getting lost in the clouds!"

Hope's fingers barely managed to wrap around the ropes, but she still gripped them tightly with all her might. "Aaaand, off you go!" Louis shouted with glee as he let go of the swing.

Hope squealed as she soared into the air, the crystal blue sky encompassing her vision. She could almost touch those white, fluffy clouds with the tips of her shoes. She almost felt like she was flying, like she could stay up there forever. Years could pass, winter could turn to spring, and Hope would still be there, playing on that swing.

Her once chirpy giggles turned into sharp laughter as she came back down to earth. Her eyes watered from the rush of the wind, and her light brown curls - no longer short tufts of hair - settled and draped across her face. She tossed her head back, sunlight shining through the tree branches, dancing across her freckled cheeks. Hope smiled, gaps in her new baby teeth showing. Louis thought it was good they'd never had to explain the Tooth Fairy to her.

"Again, dad, again!" she cried. Through the years, they'd had to remove the backboard on the swing as Hope managed to get a steadier grip on the ropes. The inscription Tenn had made for it still hung on the trunk of the tree for all the school to see.

Louis laughed. "I'll never get tired of pushing you on this thing, but let your old man rest for a bit, alright?"

"Aw," pouted Hope, looking up at her dad with puppy eyes. The same eyes that had looked at him the day of his wedding. "You're not old, dad. You're like 26."

"28, actually," he corrected, pretending to rub his back dramatically. "Tell you what, let's go sit by the benches and I'll push you after I've recovered, okay?"

"Okie!" she quipped, taking Louis's hand and practically skipping toward the bench on the side of the dorms. Sitting down, she waited for her father, who was taking an obnoxiously long time. "Daad," she complained, rolling her eyes.

"You know, your mom rolls her eyes at me that same way," he said as he got there, sitting beside her.

"That's because we have the same eyes," she reasoned, shrugging.

Louis looked down at his daughter, a look of pure pride in his eyes. Her curly brown hair was tied in a ponytail much like her mother's, the sun brought out the hazel in her eyes, and her flustered cheeks were filled with freckles. She wore a beautiful yellow dress they'd found in an abandoned mall a few years ago that she had just barely grown into a few months after that. It was one of her favorite pieces of clothing, second only to her father's trench coat, which usually covered her entire body and then some.

"I see you went with the dress for today," he pointed out, gesturing to it.

"Yep," she said with big smile. "It was too hot for jeans."

"Amen to that, princess."

They sat there for a while, silently watching the rest going about their business. Violet stood at the watchtower, Aasim and Ruby made plans on one of the courtyard tables, and Clem was helping AJ practice his archery. After mastering the regular wooden bow, she had promised to show him how to manage Marlon's old compound bow. So far, he was doing quite well for himself.

Hope leaned against her father, resting her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer. He sighed contently, planting a soft kiss on the top of her head. A late summer sun shone over them, making Louis squint and cover his eyes.

"Daddy?" Hope asked, looking up.

"Yes, Sunshine?" He thought about the irony of calling her that in his current situation.

"Would you sing me that song you used to sing to me when I was little? To pass the time?"

"You're gonna have to be a little more specific, sweetheart," he chuckled. "I've sung many songs in my day."

Rolling her eyes again, Hope said, "The one you got my nickname from, I mean."

"Ah, there we go," he said, remembering the first time he'd sung that for Clementine. It had been one night after she'd fallen ill and thought she was dying. _Overly dramatic as usual,_ he thought, though he wasn't much better.

He cleared his throat, and Hope nuzzled deeper into his embrace, humming contently.

" _Here comes the sun,_ "

" _Doo doo doo doo_ ," Hope sang along, making her father laugh.

" _Here comes the sun, and I say_

 _It's all right._ "

All the sleepless nights they'd spent in Hope's early childhood flashed in front of his eyes. He didn't think there was anything out of that experience that he wouldn't do again for little Hope. Looking down, he continued.

" _Little darling, it's been a long, cold, lonely winter._

 _Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here._

 _Here comes the sun._

 _Here comes the sun, and I say_

 _It's all right._ "

The moment Hope was born, all the doubts that had plagued his mind growing up, settling in like a disease in him, had immediately vanished. She was his sunshine in a cloudy night, bringing happiness into his and Clem's life. _More than we already had, anyway._

" _Little darling, the smile's returning to the faces._

 _Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here._ "

He looked down at his daughter one more time, basking in the rush of pride that flowed through his veins every time he laid eyes on her. She was his everything, and he was happy to say he was proud of the life he and Clementine had built for themselves. Little Hope was worth everything, and more.

" _Here comes the sun._

 _Here comes the sun, and I say._ "

They sang the last line in unison, having practiced the song countless times before. Hope's high voice contrasted with his low one, creating a beautiful melody to wrap it all together.

" _It's all right._ "


End file.
